


The Lost & The Fear ~ Nick & Judy Feelings

by Jsayra



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Blood and Violence, Drama & Romance, F/M, Police, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2019-09-28 21:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 39,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17190812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jsayra/pseuds/Jsayra
Summary: When a dream becomes repetitive for three days in a row, and where the details are all the same, it leaves a fox tormented and bewildered. Faced with such scenes addressed in the dream, tears are his companion every morning.On the other hand, Judy is bewildered by her partner's strange attitudes. The Nick she knew, seemed to have disappeared, and she missed the cheerful, smiling partner at her side.What kind of dreams does Nick have? Will he be able to tell the torment he has to live every night as he closes his eyes? How will Judy react when she finds out what's wrong with him?Stay to see ^-^~~~~~~***~~~~~~Attention to strong language and scenes of violence.Zootopia does not belong to me. All rights reserved.





	1. The Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> ~~~~~~***~~~~~~~  
> Sorry about my English. It's not me mother language :*

_“If there were words to describe this precise moment, I would say it would be ... fear. The image in front of me stirred all my deepest emotions. And yet, my body refused to move. The trance had taken over my movements. Not even words could come out of my mouth. And at that very moment, what I wanted to do was ... scream!_

_"Wilde? WILDE?" The deep, thick, serious voice awakened me from my condition. However, my gaze didn’t move for a second to face the mammal that was calling me. But that voice, I recognized well who it was. "You need medical help." He warned me, and I knew he was right. I was hurt and ... it was not little. "You cannot do anything in here. Now it's on the paws of the paramedics." He put his paw on my shoulder in comfort. Comfort that didn’t come for me._

_"But ..." was the only thing I could say. My throat ached, and words stumbled._

_"Wilde, she'll be fine. Now, please, you need medical care." He insisted, and he was right. But my body didn’t answer me._

_My gaze met the violet eyes. Eyes that showed me she'd be fine. The same eyes that told me not to worry and to take care of me. A faint smile, outlined on her partner's angelic, bloody face. Then, I fell into reality. All this by a stupid insistence, a neglect of what was involved, and a discussion that should not have happened under any circumstances. At that moment, I knew that ... I could lose the female I loved the most.”_

**_BIP…BIP…BIP…_ **

               The sound of the alarm clock echoed through the room. One paw, gently, was placed on the small button of the clock to silence it. Eyes opened slightly, trying to focus on the little light that entered through the curtains barely closed. There, two tears streamed down his cheeks. He had waked up in tears and that was already repeated for three consecutive nights. That dream tormented him, and he didn’t know why. There was no explanation for having such a dream since the cases he and his partner had, were simple and easy without any danger. Most of the time they kept the parking meters or simple routines to check the streets of Zootopia. Stunned by the dream, he wiped the tears with the back of his paw and pulled the sheets from the bed, sitting on it. Before getting up, Nick propped his elbows on his legs and rested his face on his paws. Was it some premunition? Not that he believed these things. But three days in a row with the same dream? It was weird. And the strangest thing was, he dreamed all the same details. None of the three dreams contained anything new. Everything was the same.

In a long sigh, Nick got up from the bed, picked up a towel on the back of the chair, and headed straight for the shower. Maybe the bath would calm his emotions.

               Unlike Nick, Judy had had a quiet and serene night. Despite having had some disagreement with her neighbors to keep quiet so she could sleep, she managed to fall asleep and have her 'beauty sleep'. The alarm clock lifted her from her bed. The music chosen to wake her, until it was a nice melody, but in the ears of the bunny, it was time to change that annoying thing. A small finger pressed a button on the phone to silence it. A yawn, filled her little room. The sheets were pulled back and Judy sat on the edge of the bed. She put her paws in her eyes, rubbed them, and yawned again. Then she looked at her watch. It was five-thirty in the morning. She had to be in ZPD on seven o'clock and the meeting with Nick in the usual pastry shop was around six-fifteen. So, she had enough time to take a more peaceful shower. Something she no longer knew what it was for some time. She got up from the bed, went to her closet, where she removed a towel and a change of underwear, and left her room to the shared bathroom of the building.

               The streets of Zootopia were already crowded even though it was still early enough for any activity. The sun was already a little high and, as it was summer, the esplanades of the pastries were almost full. Nick and Judy had met at their usual pastry shop for breakfast, and now they were sitting on the terrace eating. The landscape here was breathtaking, as the river flowed to its left, and the large central park on the other side of the river, balancing on the right side, which was for the city. Also, the sunrise seen through the trees, marveled Judy. Although she's been watching that scene for a year now. But far from that excitement, there was a fox lost in his thoughts.

"Nick?" Judy called him softly.

"Mmm ..." he replied. His head was resting on one of his paws and his other free paw, was stirred the coffee with the straw.

"You ... alright?" She was worried, and this was noticeable in her little voice.

"Yes," he replied dryly, without looking at her.  

               Judy frowned. She had already noticed that Nick, in these last three days, was not present. His usual jokes were no longer heard. His charming smile was limited to a mere closing of his lips. And the glow in those breathtaking green eyes had been lost for some reason. That was the reason she was dying to know. But when she questioned what was going on, the answer she got was 'nothing.' She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had to find out what was going on. After all, a quiet Nick was not the partner she liked to have at her side. She wanted the talkative Nick, the dry jokes and ... the fox lived for whom she had fallen so deeply in love. She didn’t dwell on the matter again, in which they both finished their breakfast in silence and returned to the ZPD, each in their own thoughts.

               At the reception, Clawhauser was as cheerful as ever. From elbows resting on the bench, on his paws, his mobile phone rested. From the small columns of the device, the new song was sweating. At such a melody, the cheetah's tail moved from side to side. Such concentration that he was, that he didn’t win the scare when Judy greeted him.

"Oh, gods. Sorry, but you know how it is ..." He shrugged. "Our diva's new song is BOMBASTIC!" The last word came out like a scream, making Nick divert from the reception toward the stair with a twisting nose. That reaction didn’t go unnoticed by the cheetah, who leaned over the table and whispered to the little bunny what was happening with the 'breaking hearts', in which, in response, Judy shrugged and sighed. Then she smiled at her friend and saying, she goes to the stairs too, beginning to climb up and go to the office.

               Today there would be no meeting for both. The previous day they had been late from the patrol for problems related to the breakdown of a traffic sign and a road accident, where a discussion was unleashed, because nobody wanted to give as guilty and where Nick had to lose his temper to calm the mammals. As such, this situation robbed them of the hours of filling out the paperwork and of having to fill it in the next day. So, the two would be confined to the four walls all day, to the torment of the both. One for the dream to steal precious hours of sleep and not give rest to his brain. On the other, because the anxiety of knowing what was going on with her partner left her somehow deconcentrated to fill in the paperwork. It was going to be a long day, and Judy would have to handle how to extract information from Nick without making him furious.

 

**_To be continued…_ **


	2. An Angry Judy

Although the paperwork was going well, his mind was somewhere far away. His silent sighs were constant. For several moments, Nick tried to push away the dream that insisted on coming to his mind. Countless times, he tried to think of other things, but the images of the female he loves the most throughout Zootopia lying on the ground, wounded and almost lifeless, led him to close his eyes and take a deep breath. When the last line of the questionnaire he was completing was completed, Nick set the pen down beside him, grabbed the paper and placed it on paperwork that was already filled out. Then, he dragged his chair and stood up. He walked over to Judy and put one of his paws on his partner's shoulder, causing a small fright from the little bunny, who stared at him with a confused expression.

"I'll get some coffee. Do you want anything?"

"Water, please," she replied, smiling. Nick returned her smile and walked away from her, heading for the door, where he opened it.

"Ah ... Nick?"

The fox stopped and turned toward her.

"Yes, Carrots?"

"Huh ... Forget it." She closed her eyes and smiled back at him. Nick shrugged and closed the door behind him as he left.

Judy closed her eyes after losing sight of Nick and sighed. She really wanted to know what was going on with her partner, but when she tried to speak, the words would die in her mouth for fear of annoying him if she questioned him. And she had already seen him altered by her insistence on other things. Judy took another deep breath and concentrated again on the paperwork in front of her.

               In the department canteen, Nick had come in and headed for the coffee machine. From his pocket, he pulled out his wallet, insert a coin, and pressed the button for the coffee he wanted to take. However, on TV, the news passed. Green eyes went toward the screen. The reporter commented on a bank robbery near Zootopia. Nick knew of the event, but they were not summoned to such an event because of the late paperwork. The beep on the machine that indicate the coffee was ready, made him turn his attention to the small glass door, open it and remove the plastic cup with the contents. He let go of the door and turned to the small refrigerator that was beside it, taking out a bottle of water. With the coffee and the bottle on his paws, he swerved and, as he walked out of the canteen and back into the office, he froze as his eyes returned to the television screen. The news now showed the mammals that had robbed the bank and were on the run. The same mammals that...

"Wilde?" The thick, unmistakable voice roused him back to earth. "Shouldn’t you be filling out the paperwork?"

"Yes ... ah ... sorry ..." the words still cost him. He turned away and left the canteen, leaving a buffalo stunned.

"What bug bit him?" Bogo said in a shrug and moved on to what he was going to do.

               Meanwhile, in the office, Judy was already well advanced in the paperwork. However, her mind was elsewhere. That change of mood was really making her uncomfortable. Besides, her feelings grew very fast with each passing day. The presence of her partner ceased to be comfortable, becoming rather ... uncomfortable. A mere touch of his made her burn inside. Those bright emerald green eyes made her almost breathless, and his smile made her heart want to leave her chest. She knew that she had fallen deeply in love and thought that this wouldn’t happen to her so quickly, no that least to a totally different mammal. Not that it was a problem, even though she only got involved with those of her kind. But cheese and crackers, that fox was giving her insane. The door opened, making the little bunny leap in her chair. From there, Nick came in with the coffee and the water. Automatically, her face brightened with a smile, but seconds later faded as she studied the fox's expression well. He was scared, she knew it. But what broke her heart was to see fear and anger together. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it immediately as soon as the water bottle was placed firmly beside her on the table. He sat down in his chair, where he straightened it and placed the coffee on the table. Without any explanation, Nick's paw closed and slammed into the table. Such a situation frightened Judy, who turned her chair to face him.

"Nick?" Her voice comes out in fear.

"Shit!" The word came out in a furious roar.

"Nick ... what's going on?" Confused, she didn’t think twice and stepped out of her chair toward him.

"It cannot be!" He continued to talk meaninglessly.

A paw was resting on his fist to try to calm him down, but that little gesture was misinterpreted as Nick withdrew his paw from her caress soon enough. Judy's small mouth opened in shock. Nick stared at her, noticing what he'd done, and analyzed his partner's hurt expression. It broke his heart. Disconcerted, he shifted his attention to the front.

"Carrots ... ah ... sor ..."

"I want you to explain once and for all where Nicholas Wilde is that I know. Who are you and what did you do to my partner?" She was furious. Her paws on her hips and her altered voice, just like her eyebrows together, Nick knew she had reached the limit of her patience.

"It's kind of ... difficult to ... explain, Sweetheart."

"I'm all ears." She folded her arms.

Nick knew he could not hide anything from Judy and if he did, she'd find out too quickly for his taste. He inhaled deeply before he began to speak.

"Carrots ... I ..."

Two knocks and a door opening, made the conversation die there, for a very serious buffalo appeared on their fronts.

"Wilde, Hopps! In my office, now." The door was closed again.

"Damn," Judy whispered through her teeth and walked down the small step and left the office without even waiting for her partner. She was already furious with his attitude and even more furious that he was finally going to tell her, and the idiot of her chief had appeared at the moment he shouldn’t. Nick, in turn, drank his coffee in one gulp and followed soon after.

               Once inside the chief's office, Judy didn’t bother to sit in the chairs, and Nick didn’t express that either. So, they decided to stand in front of the huge buffalo table.

"What's the matter, chief?" Judy spoke first. Rage was notorious in her voice, and she realized the chief had noticed as well, since he raised a confused eyebrow behind his glasses, but didn’t berate her for it.

"We need you two in action," he said.

"What's the matter?" Nick spoke up.

"You must be familiar with the mammals that robbed the bank this morning, correct?"

"Yes."

"No."

Judy and Nick responded at the same time. But the rabbit stared to the fox with a confusion look, where he replied with a shrug.

"These two robbers, besides having managed to steal some money from the bank; in flight, they ran over six civilians and killed two kits." The last words, the sadness was notorious in Bogo's voice.

At this, Judy brought her small paws to her muzzle. Her eyes widened in shock, while Wilde's paws closed in clenched fists. His eyebrows arched angrily. _Those bastards!_ He thought to himself.

"Unfortunately, we haven’t stopped them yet and that's why we need you two on the field. Without wanting to be disrespectful to the other officers, I put hopes in you that you can catch them." It was true, and it was also a supplicate. Those robbers had already done enough damage. Bogo sighed and removed his glasses from his face, resting them at his side. "Here's the file."

Nick came over and picked up the file. He opened the folder and scanned the creatures. An all-black bear and a leopard of the same color. Anger began to consume him. His blood began to boil. Those two mammals had to be caught and Nick was not happy to see them only behind the bars. He wanted revenge. He wanted to see them pay for what they did. Not only the civilians and the youngsters they killed, but the pain and despair they both provided him during these past three days.

**_To be continued…._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> N / A - Sounds confusing, but I guarantee everything will be explained later. ^^


	3. The Stolen Bank

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Guys ^-^
> 
> Sorry for the delay. My ideas were not in place, but i kinda like this chapter somehow.  
> It's little, but i hope you enjoyed ^-^
> 
> See u soon 
> 
> Kissus :*

The door was closed tightly. Furious, Judy walked heavy steps through the department hall, ignoring Clawhauser's greetings and opening the door to break into the parking lot towards the car. Behind her, Nick did not make the slightest effort to keep up with her, merely walking at a normal pace. On both his paws, the briefcase was folded, showing the page where the photographs of the criminals were.

"Would you hurry up!"

From the car window, Judy faced him eyebrowed partner together. Nick looked at her sideways without answering her. He closed the file and, bypassing the vehicle, opened the door, went in and closed it behind him. The car's engine was started. With her foot on the accelerator, Judy accelerated. When she caught those criminals, she could finally know what was going on with her partner and would drag him home and make him talk once and for all. The path became somewhat smooth.

The bank that had been robbed was not far away, and after an hour of infernal silence inside the car, Judy somehow enjoyed the fresh afternoon air. It wasn't summer yet, with spring dominating the weather, but the air was already very pleasant. After descending the small staircase of the car, Judy approached his colleagues who were still there to get information. All the details were necessary. Besides the ambulances and paramedics that were there to assist the injured mammals in the escape of the criminals, other patrol cars from other places in Zootropolis also stood out there. After all, that wasn't just a simple robbery.

"Hello! Any other useful information about the criminals?" Judy's question shocked the police elephant who wrote distractedly on her notepad.

 "Oh, hello Hopps. No, nothing to add." She replied with a shrug of the shoulders. "All we know is that they fled towards Rainforest. We already have two patrol cars in pursuit of them."

Violet eyes looked shrouded. The damage had been big. The front of the bank had been destroyed. In addition, the pastry shop next door had also suffered the consequences, but what most distressed her was the mammals wounded in the escape. Relatives and strangers checked to see if they were doing well in some way. The paramedics did their best to help care for the wounded. Others were already on the stretchers to be placed in the ambulances. In a long sigh, Judy closed her eyes trying to calm her anger at this situation.

"Thank you" she said to her colleague before she went back to the car.

She opened the door and went up the step. But as she went to sit down, she noticed that her partner was not there. She climbed down the small step again, closed the door and strayed out of the car, looking for her fox. She found him standing further ahead. Judy then stepped up to him but stopped suddenly as soon as the image her eyes reflected, made her carry her paws to her mouth. It was bad enough to see the wounded adult mammals and it was rare for one of them to be found dead. If so, the bloody and inert bodies of the puppies were a vision of hell. Nick's fists clenched tightly and in his expression the anger was clearly visible. Judy, on the other side, the tears that formed in her eyes, ran down her cheeks. It was really a horrible sight. Their lives were taken very early.

"Shit!" with clenched teeth, Nick's anger had really gotten out of paws.

"Nick..." his name came out in a little whisper as Judy approached him. She put a paw on his paw, but was soon shaken, as the fox suddenly turned and walked towards the car.

               At that moment, judy can glimpse the tears that flowed down her partner's cheeks. In a year by his side, she had never seen him cry. But there, at that moment, she didn't judge him for doing it. After all, it wasn't every day that two puppies at their tender age lost their lives. Once again, the path was made in silence. Not a word was spoken, and even less did neither of them face each other. Their attention was fixed on the road. They had to catch them. Put them behind bars. However, deep down in his most precise being, Nick wanted to torture them. He wanted them to taste the pain and suffering. Suffering that he saw in his dream. The pain he felt when he lost the one he loved the most.

"Nick?”

When called his name, he awoke from his thoughts.

"Yes, Carrots?" his emerald green eyes turned his attention to Judy and the image he saw, leave him completely shocked.

Clawhauser was still having fun with his mobile phone and Gazelle's concert. When his name was called in a serious tone, the scare was huge. As a result, the mobile phone fell to the ground.

"Gather more reinforcements. Things got complicated."

Bogo's expression was serious and as soon as the front door of the department was slammed hard, Clawhauser knew he had to call in reinforcements as soon as possible.

If that were a movie, surely the scene that would be happening at that very moment would be the winner of an Oscar without a doubt. The slow-motion really passed in front of his eyes. The moment of reaction was to grab her paw, pull her towards him and hold her tight so that no one could steal her from him. However, none of this happened.

The car was thrown without any mercy. The seat belt was worth a lot at that moment, avoiding Nick being thrown out of the car, but it didn't stop him from turning his head downwards. On his forehead, a thread of blood was visible and began to drip onto the roof of the car. He hadn't almost lost consciousness, thus avoiding a major disaster. His vision was a little blurred, but when he managed to focus a little, his heart accelerated to an abnormal speed when the scene in front of him made him afraid. A fear he had never felt in his whole life. A fear that caused his body to reject the begging of his will to move. The same fear he felt in the three days in that dream that gave him no rest. The fear of losing the female he loves most in all of Zootopia and the fear that what his eyes are seeing does not resemble his dream at all but contains the same criminals who tormented him. The same mammals that he would kill with his own paws.

**_To be continue..._ **


	4. The Fear and the Fury

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. 
> 
> It took me a while, but finally here is the chapter :)  
> In this chapter of mine, there is a lot of violence. Judy will be seriously injured just like Nick. However, I will not kill either of both, you can rest assured. 
> 
> Please, the violence before Judy is necessary because of my vision of history. I don't want you to take this the wrong way. And it will all work out.
> 
> Other than that, I hope you like it. ;D

Her knees were pressed hard on the floor. Her paws were forced to be trapped behind her back. A thread of blood could be seen in the left corner of her mouth. She had been punched hard. Everything had been so fast that Judy didn’t had time to defend herself. It is true that some kicks were given, but two large and thick paws of mammals larger than her size, her taser for foxes, only gave to that species, since she in a desperate attempt to at least try not to hurt herself anymore, used it, but it had no effect. When there is a gun and police baton, they didn't even have time to act, as soon as she was pulled by the force of the car by her ears, punched mercilessly and forced to kneel and paws tied behind her back. Meanwhile, the car where her partner was still, was violently thrown against the wall. She shouted his name. Tears came to her eyes. She shouted again with her eyebrows together, half closed her eyes before the leopard who had hurt her.

"That look does not scare me, my dear!"

A sick smile reappeared on his muzzle. He was crouched just inches from Judy.

"Okay, the other one's been taken care of." said the bear as he walked in stride to Judy and the Leopard as he wiggled his paws like dirt.

The shock was great. Tears streamed down her cheeks. The image of the car turned upside down and her partner upside down too, she feared the worst.

"Bastards!”

She tried to get up. Judy knew she could not do much in the situation she was in, but anger took over. Her head hit the leopard's chin, making the mammal stagger back and bring his paws to the jaw, trying to ease the pain. But from his nostrils the blood was already visible.

"You bastard!"

The bear's scream joined an angry expression and a strong kick on Judy's right shoulder, causing the poor rabbit to stagger to the side and fall helplessly to the ground, as the help of her paws was impossible since they were stuck behind her back. The result was an almost dislocated shoulder. The pain overwhelmed her whole body. With no time to recover, the bear crouched down before her, grabbing her by the collar, and had his snout just inches from hers.

"Listen to something, my dear. Things weren't meant to end like this," the fury was clearly visible in his almond eyes. "If you hadn't interfered, you wouldn't be in this situation."

With her eyebrows together, Judy's anger only consumed her more and more, to the point of spitting in the bear's face. A paw was found on the bear's face. Slowly, he cleaned her saliva. Then, on his lips, a mocking smile reappeared.

"You're brave." The sound of his voice was pure joy.

Without any delay, a closed fist ran into the rabbit's stomach without any mercy. Judy's eyes opened and from her little mouth she coughed blood.

               Once in the car, Nick had managed to detach himself from the belt. The fall was worth a groan of pain when he hit his back on the ground. Recovering his breath, he turned his body sideways and settled down so that he could knock hard on the door with his foot. The first two knocks, the door proved reluctant. However, the third squealed and the fourth opened completely. The door fell to the ground and Nick unfolded to get out. When he did, he stood up, pulled his police stick out of his belt and ran literally to the bear. Mercilessly, the stick hit the mammal's head hard, causing him to lose consciousness and fall to the ground. His breathing was very fast. Then, without any delay, he threw the stick aside and knelt before his partner. Judy was lying on the side floor. Her eyes were closed tightly due to the pain that was still consuming her.

"Carrots ..."

The concern in her voice was immense. Nick put his paw to her face, where she caressed the touch and stared at him sideways.

"Nick..." she managed to say. Her voice was weak.

Without any delay, he took his paws to the rope that held his partner's wrists together. The knot was tight, but it wasn't hard to undo. When the rope was removed, Nick's already elevated anger exploded when he saw that Judy's wrists were marked.

Judy, in turn, felt relieved to get rid of that torment. Even though she was sore, she managed to straighten herself out and without any warning, two strong arms held her tightly. At that squeeze, she felt safe and her emotions came up as soon as Nick whispered in her ear.

"Forgive me!”

Then she cried. She cried over the torment she had suffered. She cried because she was afraid she had almost lost him. She cried because of the situation she was in, that she had seen her life pass before her eyes and that she could not see him, hug him and tell that mammal how much she loved him. After a few seconds, Judy opened her eyes. The only thing she had time for was to shout his name.

"Let her go!" The words came out in anger.

Nick closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he whispered something in Judy's ear and let go of her. He straightened up and raised his arms in the air, still maintaining eye contact with his partner.

"Very well." The leopard spoke again. In his face the troubled smile reappeared.  "Now, take a few steps back."

Nick did so. The gun pointed at his head had to be removed with caution. Besides, he didn't want to die yet. Not until he told her how important Judy was to him. His dream had tormented him enough that he couldn't tell how much he loved that female. And not there either that he wouldn't do it.

"Good." The leopard spoke again.

However, the unconscious bear began to show signs of life. He coughed when his consciousness was regained. He took a paw to his head and twisted his nose when the paw came in red.

"Damn!" He grumbled to himself.

After a few minutes sitting on the floor, he stood up and with him brought the stick that Nick had left behind moments before.

"Oh, hey brother!" happiness in the leopard's voice was noticeable.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked the confused bear when he came across the scene.

"The Rabbit is all yours, my friend, while I take care of this one."

"Oh, what can I do with her?"

The stick would hit the paw according to the movements of the steps as he approached Judy. At that time, Nick asked her to grab the taser. She did but was doubtful. That wouldn't work with a mammal that size. Realizing her partner's confused expression, Nick tried to get her to use it close to his groin as soon as the bear was close to her. Judy then turned to the bear and began to calculate how she could use the taser there. When she realized how she was going to do it, she felt raised by her ears. Nick wanted to react to such a vision, but if he did, the Leopard would pull the trigger. So, he swallowed the anger and waited for Judy to get away with it, since he knew she was strong and could do it.

 

**_To be continued…._ **


	5. A Brave Bunny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Again =)
> 
> Sorry for the Delay.  
> Enjoy, was much I enjoyed to wrote this ^^

"There's no point in struggling, sweetie."

The bear's paw held Judy's ears tightly. The pain was immense, since her ears, in a way, were her weak point.

"Besides, if you do something, your partner will have his brains blown out there." the famous mocking smile on the criminal's lips was already beginning to stir with Judy's nerves. So much so, that her eyebrows came together. "After all, who would have thought that the fantastic duo was nothing more than mere weaklings?”

               Meanwhile, on the way to Rainforest, three patrols cars were already on their way at a considered speed. Bogo's eyes remained fixed on the landscape. In his mind, he hoped that nothing bad had happened to his best policemen. After all, deep down, he worried about them.

 

**_Hours before..._ **

The briefcase had been closed and a long sigh filled the silence of the office. The glasses were removed and rested beside him. One of his paws, went to meet his temples, relieving the pressure of tiredness.

"What else can happen." He murmured to himself, when the ring of his phone rang. He took a paw to reach the earpiece and carried it to his ear. "This is Bogo."

"Chief, we have a problem" on the other side, the voice of one of his cadets, speak.

Bogo turned his eyes. He did not want any more problems accumulated than he already had.

"What's going on this time?"

"Judy and Nick went after the criminals."

"And? That was the order."

"The problem is that they haven't come back yet."

"I don't understand. Would you be more specific, please?"

"Three hours ago, they left for Rainforest, and knowing them as I know, they should have come back with some information by now. Besides, Chief, no one is being able to talk to either of them, either through the radio or through their mobile phones."

 _Well, that was already a big problem,_ though Bogo, while his fingertips moved on the table according to his nervousness.

"I will call for reinforcements. In the meantime, get as much information as possible out of the robbery. We will have to close this case and compensate the victims."

"Your orders, Chief." and he hung up.

Bogo sighed. He would never think that anything could happen to his best officers. Not that the danger wasn't there lurking even if it was just a simple patrol through the streets of Zootopia, but the probability of that happening to those two stubborn heads was very low.

Back to the present, the wolf who drove the car tried to get to the place as fast as possible. However, something stopped them, when the poor mammal had to brake hard, providing Bogo with a snout on the dashboard of the car and a growl of fury.

"What was that for?" he asked displeased, taking his paws to relieve the pain.

"Chief?" the wolf managed to speak, lifting a paw in front and pointed with his finger through the glass.

Bogo looked in the right direction and everything collapsed.

"You've got to be kidding me."

The bridge, on which gave the main access to Rainforest, had been destroyed.

 

               There was no way that Judy could free herself from the bear's paws. Besides, if she moved too much, the pain would be worse, so she stopped fighting and stood still.

"It was hard for you to calm down, bunny."

"What do you want anyway?" Finally, she decided to face him.

"Um... Hum... Our orders were simple. Robbing the bank and running away. We didn't foresee that we would run over the mammals along the way. But that, part of the blame, was your colleagues who got in the way. As for the little cubs, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Without any remorse, the words were uttered as if it were a superb conversation. The shrugging of shoulders was also simple, like 'I don't care' if it was.

               This time Judy totally lost her temper. Furious, she took a deep breath and, withstanding the pain, the taser in her paw went towards the arm that was holding her. To the shock, the bear reacted. His paw opened, and Judy was free. In addition, the stick in the bear's other paw, was also dropped, after the movement to take the paw to another one to relieve the pain. Judy then positioned her strength on her feet and jumped toward the bear's groin. The taser was pressed and the shock was so great, that he fell backwards foaming from his mouth.

Suddenly, a gunshot wound through Judy's left shoulder. She took a paw to the sore spot and stared at him sideways.

"Not another step, or he dies."

Nick had been forced to kneel on the floor. The leopard's free paw now held the tie, facing back, and the gun pressed further into the fox's head.

"Believe me, my beautiful, one more step and I'll really kill him."

Judy's violet eyes met Nick's emerald greens. They didn't need to say anything. At that moment, they said everything. They said how much they loved each other.

"You can kill him," she said, and an evil smile reappeared on her lips.

The leopard's eyes opened in amazement. Had he really heard right? It couldn't be.

"I'm sorry. Say that again?"

"I said, you can kill him." She repeated.

Meanwhile, her paw went very slowly to her revolver. Her bluff would help to distract the Leopard, and she managed, without him noticing it, to unhook the buckle from her revolver.

"Hmm...even though you’re bluffing, I won't think twice. Your orders, dear."

And he pulled the trigger.

 

               Back on the bridge, Bogo and the other officers were trying to find a solution to enter the Rainforest. A map had been opened on top of the hood of the car. The wolf, with a pen, marked the possible places where they could get through. Most of them would be crossing the river that flowed furiously underneath. The problem was that not everyone had the courage to cross it.

"Here would be the quickest way to locate them." The wolf spoke and marked on the map a red circle on a path on foot. A shortcut, to be more specific. "What we will have to do, is go over the other degraded bridge. The danger of falling into the river is very present."

Bogo listened carefully to his cadet's instructions. His arm at his chest supported the elbow of his other arm, where his paw coiled his chin, thoughtfully.

"We have to go on then. We'll leave the vehicles here, but we won't all go. We will divide ourselves into teams of..." A bang drowned out his words. "What the hell..."

Bogo, like the other officers, looked in the direction of the forest.

"Chief, that was..." the consternation in the wolf's expression, was the same in all those present.

"Two teams of two elements, get together. We'll cross the other bridge.”

Without delay, the wolf kept the map and put it on the belt of his trousers. Bogo deviated of the car and started walking toward the other bridge. Behind him, four more officers did the same. That noise had been a warning and he hoped he'd find a good, not horrible, scene. Bogo did not want to have to prepare for their funeral by far. Neither them nor anyone else.

 

               Her breathing was racing. Her paws were shaking. Tears formed in her eyes. She had been trained. She knew that, one day, she would have to withdraw her resolve and make use of it. But she didn’t want to kill any mammals at all. Whoever he was. There, the Leopard lay on the ground. The puddle of blood began to pop up from under his back. A shot in the chest was accurate for his death.

"Ah ..." even her voice was trembling.

Nick got up and walked over to her. He pulled the revolver from her paws, threw it to the ground, and without delay, he hugged her.

"It's all right, Carrots."

He spoke softly as one of his paws caressed her head between her ears. 

"Nick... I... Don’t..."

"Shh. It's okay. It was in our defense. Bogo will understand."

The eyes, full of tears, remained on the dead mammal. The shock was immense. Nick let go of her and put his paws on her face. He stared at her. 

"Judy, we're alive and that's all that matters." He wiped her tears with his thumbs. Judy closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I thought I'd lose you."

"You'll never lose me, Judy. I'll always be on your side," he smiled at her.

Judy took one of his paws and stroked it.

"Judy...I..."

"Hopps! Wilde!"

The voice recognized, called them through the darkness. They both looked at where the voice came from and in their faces, a smile was outlined when they saw who it was from.

"I see that you are...well!”

The sigh of relief was visible in his expression. A smile came out of his face when he saw that his officers were alive despite being wounded.

**_To be continues..._ **


	6. At the Hospital - Part One

Bogo approached them. With him, came the other officers. One of them had the walkie-talkie a mere centimeter from his snout, informing that they had found the officers Hopps and Wilde safe. He also asked for two ambulances. They were to be reviewed and taken to the hospital.

"How did you find us, Chief?”

"Your absence for a long time, alerted us."

"Have we been missing that long?" Nick took the word.

"Yes." Bogo replied and then his gaze fixed on the car where they were. "They did not go easy on you both, as far as I can see.” He sighed and put his paws on his waist. Another extra expense for the department. But at least his officers were alive.

"Not at all.” Judy spat out the words.

" You guys are going to be observed. The paramedics should be on their way by now. In addition, you both were out of service for two weeks.” Bogo noticed that the little rabbit was going to protest, but he anticipated, interrupting her. "Without discussion, Miss Hopps. The forced holidays will be paid for. You can rest assured.

Nick couldn't help but smile as he saw the relief in his partner's expression. Those two weeks were just in a good time. He would have time to rest and have a good holiday with Judy.

               After a few long minutes, Judy and Nick began to make their way back to where their colleagues were going to be. The wolf and another officer led them along the trail they had taken to meet them. During this journey, surrounded by darkness and just a simple flashlight illuminating the trail to see where they stepped, Judy and Nick's paws were intertwined in each other. Without any shame, the comfort of the touch, warmed both their hearts. They had had a rude day and needed each other's affection to comfort the torment they had gone through. When the trail came to an end, the bridge on which they had to cross, was unstable. Then, the wolf warned them of excessive care and, if possible, to lean on each other. Such information was taken very seriously, where Nick asked Judy to grab him by the arm with all her might and not to let him go for nothing. She nodded positively and did so. They crossed the bridge without any problem. When their feet were placed on firm ground, the path to another bridge wouldn't take long. So, after a few minutes, they reached their colleagues. The female elephant, whom Judy recognized as being from another district, ran to her.

"My dear, let me help you."

One of her paws grabbed one of Judy's, taking her to the ambulance that was already at the local. Her violet eyes faced the emerald green one last time and, turning her back on a wounded fox, she followed her colleague to the ambulance. Wilde, in turn, was taken with the wolf to another ambulance and there, the two, followed the path to the central hospital of Zootopia.

 

               On the way to the big city, the paramedic, another rabbit, was cleaning Judy's wounds. The care she applied to each touch was not enough for the pain to come out in sound through her lips.

"You need to take an x-ray of the whole body to rule out internal bleeding. After a few stitches here and there, I think you'll be out of the hospital in a heartbeat," the paramedic smiled and got up to get more compresses.

"Thank you." Judy thanked her. Her thought was on Nick. To know if his wounds wouldn't be too much either.

After an hour's, she arrived at the hospital. Her body had been laid on a stretcher. The doors of the ambulance opened, and the paramedics lowered the stretcher and entered the hospital. Inside, in a prepared room, a doctor and a few more nurses were waiting. Her police suit was cut off and removed from her body. Naked, the doctor checked for more injuries. Nothing serious, except small bruises and wounds. However, Judy shrunk when he pressed her in the abdomen.

"I need a full X-ray. Take her to the room."

The nurses nodded their heads. A sheet covered her naked body and led her into the room.

               Meanwhile, Nick didn't have any bruising, so after several strokes and a full x-ray, the superficial wounded were the ones who needed attention. The compress passed through the wound once again to disinfect it and a small spray was put in place. It was burning, and he closed his eyes to that sensation.

"In a few minutes you won't feel a thing. However, I ask you to hold on while I apply the spray on the other wounds." The nurse informed him.

The head wound was the worst. The scar would be visible, but he would already have a story to tell his children and grandchildren. The others would be enough to discard out the possibility of infection.

"Lady Nurse?" Nick called her. "Any additional information about the police officer who came with me?"

"All we know is that she was taken to the x-ray room. No need to worry, Mr. Wilde, your girlfriend will be fine." She smiled at him and started boiling the head wound.

That word "girlfriend" Nick just smiled softly. He could deny it, but he didn't want it. After all, he knew how much that bunny loved him. It was enough now, when they left the hospital, to put their words into action.

               The day gave way to the late afternoon. Outside, the clouds had accumulated and the rain like a thunderstorm had already been heard. Nick had been dispatched after two hours. The nurse said that he could eat something and that she would give the papers. However, he was forbidden to see his partner since she was still under observation. As soon as she had the doctor's permission, she would say so.

In the cafeteria, when Nick entered, he saw Bogo and Clawhauser sitting at a table. He approached them.

"Hi." He said.

"Nick!" the cheetah didn't speak but shouted his name.

Without thinking, he jumped out of the chair and hugged his friend. So much, that Bogo had to get up from his chair and pull him back by the collar of his sweater.

"Take it easy, big guy. Do you want to put him back in a hospital bed?”

Nick laughed at this information.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Clawhauser's ears dropped in defeat.

"No problem, Ben."

"Sit down and I'll order you some coffee." Said the cheetah, removing the chair from the table and giving the place to the fox.

Nick nodded and sat down. Benjamin smiled at him and turned his back on the two of them, continuing to take care of the request.

"Judy is stable.” Bogo spokes. "The Doctor informed me a few seconds ago. However, she is asleep, so we cannot see her now."

"What about her parents?”

"They are already informed. They will be here in an hour."

"Great." Nick sighed with relief.

"Wilde, I trust you to keep her distracted for these two weeks. Judy is a great cop and doesn't let herself be affected by too much but killing another mammal has never been in her plans."

"I know that, Chief. I'll do everything I can to keep her relaxed."

"Great." Bogo smiled at him.

However, Clawhauser came to them with the request.

               Nick was walking the halls of the hospital. After a short meeting with the chief and Clawhauser, he went to the reception to question whether Judy could already receive visitors. In which, they informed him, that he doesn’t have permission to see her yet. After thanking him for the information, he went to the kiosk and bought the newspaper. As such, the news was running fast and information about what happened was already on the front pages. With an open newspaper, he continued to walk down the corridors of the hospital to the door where Judy was. He would sit on the chairs waiting for to see her at last. When, whispers caught his attention. Above the newspaper, Nick saw two rabbits, extremely worried, in front of the door where his partner was. The doctor tried to calm them down.

"Please, we just want to see how our daughter is doing.” Tears were already running down Bonnie's cheeks.

"No one can come in now. Her daughter is stable, we can assure you both of that.”

"That doesn't tell us anything." Contradict Stu already furious. "Only when my eyes see Judy's face will I know if she's okay or not."

"Mr and Mrs Hopps, please listen to the doctor."

Nick interfered. The newspaper had been closed and rolled up, and then placed under the arm. The two rabbits looked in the direction of the voice and Bonnie smiled as she recognized the approaching mammal.

**_To be continued…._ **


	7. At the Hospital - Part Two

It wasn't the first time Nick interacted with Judy's mother and father. There was a time when they came on business to Zootopia and took the opportunity to visit their daughter. Although Judy had already told them that her partner was a fox, her mother managed to disguise him well when she greeted him. Nick knew she was scared, but the smile on her face showed serenity. On the other hand, Stu was more reluctant when smiling at the fox. Although he had been alerted by his daughter that Nick was a good wave and had helped her in the Nighthowlers case, Stu still did not show confidence in front of that fox, much less now, when his eyes saw her acting a little strange in his presence. However, during their stay, in spite of being short, Judy and Nick and her parents were walking through the streets of Zootopia after leaving work. Bonnie was the first to be reassured and Stu took a long time, but then he started looking at her daughter's partner in a different way.

"What hospital is this, that won't let us see our daughter?!" Stu grumbled, hitting his foot hard on the ground.

"I want to see her too, Mr. Stu, but unfortunately we have to obey the rules of the hospital." Nick smiled softly at him and stared at the doctor with the expression 'I'll take care of it. Thank you', in which the doctor nodded his head and left.

"Nick, my dear, I see you have suffered badly too."

Bonnie's paw passed lightly through the wound, now covered with a bandage, on Nick's head. Her sad and worried expression, made his heart melt with the affection he was receiving. His mother had died from an illness, leaving him alone at an early age. to get on with it, he had to grow quickly. The streets were not nice and some of the mammals that lived there, in the most degraded suburbs, only wanted him badly and not well. That little gesture, therefore, told him a lot. Nick took his paws from Bonnie, where he squeezed them tightly.

"We had a hard time, that's true, but now it's all right. And, Mr. Stu, they just won't let us see your daughter, because she asleep and need to be quiet for a few moments. As soon as she opens her eyes, you can be at her side."

Stu didn't answer him, just sighing. Then he turned his back and felt himself in the chair. His hat was removed from his head and placed on his paws.

"Nick, thank you for being my daughter's friend and protector. She always thinks she's strong, but deep down, she's just a fragile girl like the others." Bonnie spokes. "The tough bow wrapped around her is no more than a protective shield. Although she never suffered physically, apart from that little incident with Gideon, the psychological and emotional suffering was stronger. Sometimes, she came home crying as a child. We thought she had been hurt by playing. However, the same began to happen as a teenager. When we questioned her, the only thing she would answer was not to worry. That's why, when she started talking so cheerfully about a new friend, we were happy and worried at the same time.” Bonnie sighed and let go of Nick's paws, turning her back on him and sitting in the chair next to her husband. Nick did, too, sitting next to her. Bonnie spoke again. "Stu was the most worried when he found out what species you are, so his reception that day when we came to the Zootopia was not the best. Thank you for our daughter's insistence on her father leaving the fox taser for good." Bonnie looked down on her husband, who stared at her that expression with his arms crossed and the head turned to the side. "However, and I know you are aware of this, Judy's enthusiasm for you was contagious. A beautiful smile that she showed with every video call she made, which we'd never seen even when she had a boyfriend for 3 years."

"Judy with a boyfriend? Well, that's surprising." Nick interrupted and laughed. Bonnie couldn't stop laughing either. She understood well what he meant. "I've only known your daughter for a year and a little while, but the only things I hear from her mouth are about work."

"On a sentimental level, Judy is a little reserved. You must be aware that her dream of becoming a cop was not well covered by much of us. We were happy when she introduced us to her boyfriend. I knew my daughter was happy. And I was happier when I found out that after all, in the midst of that passion for being a cop, there was a space in her heart that could be filled with something else.” Even though he thought Judy had had a boyfriend to whom she gave her love, Nick couldn't help being a little jealous. But the happiness on Bonnie's face was contagious, so he couldn't help smiling. But soon, her expression gave way to a saddest one. He saw her sigh before she continued to speak. "For a year, things looked good. But after that year, our daughter's happiness began to fade. Many times, I tried to talk to her, but Judy never wanted to, saying that she solved things for her. So, I didn't insist anymore. The next year, Judy stayed at home more stuck to books than going out with her boyfriend. Once again, I tried to ask her what was going on, in which she told me that he was also busy with his studies. Of course, I found that an excuse, but I didn't insist on it. In her third year of dating, Judy approached me and told me that she would never fall in love with anyone again. That she would dedicate herself completely to her studies and be a good police officer. It's been four years and my husband, and I have given up the dream of seeing any grandson from Judy."

"What was their problem?” Nick asked curious. However, he will already calculate what his answer would be.

"From what I understand, the idea of her wanting to be a cop was one of the problems. The other problem, was that she didn't want to have a big litter and stay at home and take care of her cubs. Something usual for a rabbit. So, when she started showing great interest and enthusiasm for her partner, we were happy. Stu here, his happiness, died knowing what your species was. I'm not going to lie either that I was a little concerned, but Judy's smile and glow in her eyes said it all. Then, we had to get used to the idea.” Bonnie looked at the fox next to her and put a paw over his. "I know you'd never hurt our daughter. So, we give you our consent. I know you'll make her very happy and I rest assured that you're the mammal that will make her smile. In a relationship there are many ups and downs, but nothing that can't be solved with much love."

Nick thanked for his fur be red. Yeah, there, with those words, he was boiling. He was going to talk, but he was interrupted by the door of the room where Judy was. From there, the same doctor who was approached by the little rabbits, came out with a paper on one paw and a pen on the other. He scribbled something when he approached them.

"Your daughter is already waking up. You can see her now."

The doctor smiled at her and went off to see other patients.

"Finally!" said Stu, coming out of his chair and putting his hat on his head again.

"Are you sure you don't want to be the first to see her?" Bonnie asked Nick, in which he answered with a nod of his head.

"I'll have all the time in the world to see her. And it better be the parents first."

"Thank you, my dear."

Bonnie hugged the fox, and she and her husband entered the room.

 

               The time Nick had to wait, put him in a thoughtful way about things that... They shouldn't be in his head. He should be worrying about ideas for what they might do in those two weeks. There were several scenarios in which he could lead Judy to become distracted, but in fact, his thoughts were on the actions that his innermost self-wanted to do. Kissing her was the first option. Yes, he wanted to feel her lips in his. Secondly, his caresses. Her paws on his fur, running all over his body, caressing everything he could give her and.... _Oh, no.... No, Nick. Don't think with the other head. She's suffered a lot and doesn't need these things for now. She just wants your affection and feeling. She wants you to be a gentleman and_... His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened. In one jump, he came out of the chair and approached the little rabbits. The expression of concern was still present on their faces, but a smile of relief and happiness told him that their daughter was fine. 

"We'll have to go back to Bunnyburrow." Bonnie said, "We'll leave our daughter on your paws, Nick. And she's eager to see you." 

Bonnie smiled at him and said goodbye to him just like Stu. Nick took a deep breath before taking his paw on the doorknob.

_Judy, you'll know that from now on, I'll always be by your side._

And opening the door, he came in.

 

**_To be continued…_ **


	8. At the Hospital - Final Part

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi readers ^-^
> 
> Sorry for the delay and sorry again, because this chapter is a little small, but i didn't wanted this to be so long. 
> 
> Well, I hope you enjoyed! :*

**_Judy P.O.V_ **

 

My eyes opened slowly. My vision was blurred. In my face, the oxygen mask was bothering me a little.

"Welcome back, Mrs. Hopps."

The voice next to me made me turns my head. My vision wasn't fully focused yet, but I realized that it was the doctor who was there. I managed to glimpse his badge, hanging from his chest in the upper left corner.

"Hello, doctor.”

I managed to speak, but my voice was a little hoarse.

"You may feel a little dizzy and sick. However, that will pass in a few minutes."

"Thank you".

"You're welcome, Mrs. Hopps. Now, if you don't mind, I'll see other patients. After all, out there, there are three mammals anxious to see you."

The doctor smiled at me. He checked the serum and the pain medicine and turned his back towards the door. Outside, I could hear my parents' voices, along with Nick's voice.

My parents were the first to come in. Something that I expected to happen, since their concern was extreme, and if they were not allowed in soon, they would end up making a fuss. I managed to glimpse a smile on my mother's face. My father, however, had sawed his lips. And it was understandable.

"My darling, how are you feeling?" my mother's paw, passed lightly over my forehead. At her touch, I felt safe.  

"Stunned by anesthesia. And a little sore," I replied, smiling.

"Honey, your father and I would like you to go to BunnyBurrow on your vacation."

"I appreciate it, but I want to stay in Zootopia a little longer. Soon, I'll see if I'll come to you for a few days."

"I understand." My mother smiled at me again and I returned the smile.

Then I looked at my father. I knew that he wanted to say something. But the torment in his expression was enough for me to understand his frustration. Of so many brothers, I was the most rebellious and no parents like to see their children in a hospital bed.

"Well, dear, we’ll go. We'll have to go back. Your older sister must already have her fur all irritated." Bonnie laughed.

Then she approached me and gave me a kiss on the forehead. Then she went astray, letting my father do the same.

"Now let's let Nick see you."

My mom said, and then they left. While waiting for Nick's entrance, I removed the mask from my snout. Whether it was allowed or not, was already bothering me too much. Then I looked at my left arm. The sticky needle was already starting to make that little place get massacred. Besides, the serum bag was still halfway through. I sighed. How I hated hospitals. I heard the door open. Automatically, my head turned, and my heart started to accelerate when Nick came in and closed the door behind him.

"Hello, Nick," I said, and for some reason, my voice became hoarser.

He didn't open his mouth. His expression was tight, and I knew why. The anguish of seeing me in a hospital bed, wounded, should never have crossed his mind and that, in a way, was messing with him. His steps were vague when he approached me. He pulled out the chair next to my bed. He turned his over to me and sat down. His paws intertwined with each other and his gaze went to the ground.

"Nick... I'm fine." I tried to reassure him, but I knew my words wouldn't have any effect.

"There's something you need to know, Carrots." Finally, he speaks. However, his gaze didn't match mine. "Even though it wasn't the same, you were hurt anyway.”

"Oh, Nick, please..." I turned my eyes and took a deep breath. "We couldn't prevent it..."

"That's where you're wrong, Carrots." Nick interrupted me, and only then did he stare at me.

His green eyes broke my heart from so much torment that it contained them.

"A few days ago, a dream came to torment me for three days. In it, you were not only wounded, but completely dead. Even though you received treatment in time, I knew I would lose you. It was only a matter of time."

"So that's why you were acting weird." I interrupted and closed my eyes tightly, letting my attention focus on the white roof of the hospital.

"Every morning I woke up crying. For three days the dream was repeated and, strangely enough, all the details were the same" a strong fist ran into the wood table next my bed. "To that, my body didn’t move. That the shock of the image that my eyes observed, led my mind to dominate my movements. To know that I would never again..."

"That's enough, Nick!" my voice came out calm, but I knew that the volume had increased a little. In my eyes, the tears were forming. "Please, I am well and alive. You'll have my company for a long time." At that moment I turned my face to him. I lifted my left arm and took my open paw to his face.

"When we leave here, I want you to come with me to a place.” I smiled, and he leaned his face more on my paw, took his paw to mine and closed his eyes.

"I would be nothing without you, Judy."

"You are you, Nick. Appreciate the value you have."

 

**_To be Continued…_ **


	9. The beginning of a deserved rest.

**_Nick P.O.V_ **

My anguish and sadness had not yet completely passed by. However, to see that Judy was well, softened my heart. Our conversation was interrupted by the entrance of the doctor. On one of his paws, came an envelope and on the other came the registration papers. The doctor asked me for permission to examine Judy one last time before discharging her, where I had to leave them alone.

When I left the room, Clawhauser and Bogo were seated. Their eyes were on me.

"How is she?” Benjamin spoke first. He got up from the chair and went towards me.

"A little stunned by the anesthesia, but she fine." I smiled at him.

"That’s good to hear."

"She's with the doctor for one last analysis and she'll be able to leave." My eyes went out to meet Bogo's.

"I'll talk to her when the doctor leaves, if you don't mind Wilde. Then, I won't have anything to do with you two for two weeks and I don't even want you around. If I see you, I'll take your vacation pay back. Understood?"

"Yes, chief.” I replied with a smile on my face, because I knew what he meant by that. Judy was a tough head and work was always in the first place, her health being always in the second.

"Great."

For an hour, my attention focused on my mobile phone. The news was running fast and the online newspapers were already talking about the case. Once again, we were considered heroes. However, I didn't think we were. We almost die and there was nothing heroic about that.

_We will have to leave Zootopia during these two weeks. The reporters didn't go leave us alone._

My thoughts were interrupted when the doctor left from the room. Like me, Bogo and Clawhauser left the chairs and approached him.

"And what are the worries?” Bogo was the one who spoke first.

"Nothing to worry about. She will need rest for some time and will have to come here, just like you, Mr. Wilde, within five days to remove the stitches." The doctor scribbled something on the papers he was carrying. Then, he removed an envelope under his arm and handed it to me. "Here are the tests, the x-rays and the prescriptions that Mrs. Hopps will have to raise. In addition, she will need support these first few days. The hemorrhage she had, was successfully stopped. However, we had to open some of her abdomen so that we could cleanse her. Ten stitches were needed, so no effort in the first few days."

I just nodded and kept the envelope under my arm.

"As for the work..." now the doctor's attention was caught in Bogo. "Although two weeks is enough to recover, I want to make sure she doesn't have very physically demanding cases. For a month, I want Mrs. Hopps to stay out of any effort. The same applies to you, Mr. Wilde. After that month, they can return to action. With your premise, I must retire to see other patients. Mrs. Hopps should be ready by now. You can see her." and the doctor left.

"I'll talk to Judy later on phone." Bogo said when he turned to me, "Take her home, Wilde, and take good care of her."

Then he turned his back on me. Clawhauser, before following the chief, hugged me tightly and left too. I lifted my paw, waving at the two of them a goodbye. Then I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. On the other side, Judy's voice gave me permission to enter. I did so.

 

***

 

               The discussion in the car, was serious. I think in a year and a little while next to her, we'd never argued like that and she didn't seem too bothered by my angry expression. After all, the discussion was held because of Mrs. Hopps' stubbornness.

"We'll spend the whole night on this, if you like." My voice was altered, but it had already calmed down a bit.

"I don't see what the problem is." Her eyes were focused on the landscape on her right. Her arms were crossed, and her deep breathing indicated to me, that the discussion would continue.

"The doctor's orders were clear!”

"I know how to manage on my own."

"I don't doubt it, but you'll need help with other things. Besides, I don't see the problem of you staying at my house."

"But I do!”

 _Oh, by the gods_! I rolled my eyes. _What the hell was she thinking?_

"Judy, I don't..."

"I know that very well, but I feel a little...uncomfortable."

It even pissed me off a bit, to be honest. She thinks I'm going to hit on her, in that state and on top of that, without having declared ourselves to each other before? Who does she think I am?

"Is there anything you want to tell me, Carrots?" Okay, so if so, I would find out why she insists on thinking about my suspicion.

Then, I knew she looked sidewise on me. I also knew that the discussion would calm down.

"Not really!?" I saw her shrugging her shoulders and I was about to start protesting when my words were interrupted by hers. "Don't get me wrong, Nick. It's just..." her fingers moved nervously.  

"It's just that... What?" I repeated her words.

"I don't feel completely comfortable in your presence. Satisfied now?"

She said that sentence so fast, I could barely understand it. However, my good hearing cleared up every word she said, and I quickly burst out laughing like a madman.

"It's no joke, Nicholas Wilde!"

She protested in her defense and I noticed her ears and cheeks that were already red, and that made me laugh even more.

"Don't worry, Carrots. There's nothing in my house that makes you uncomfortable," I knew what she was talking about, but I wanted to make her a little more comfortable and end that conversation as soon as possible. "So, we stopped by your house to pick up your things?”

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"None."

I noticed that she rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders, completing her discomfort with a deep breath and positive nod from her head. I just smiled and drove the car towards her house.

Packing things up and taking them back to the car, was a short-lived task, since the clothes she would take, were not so much and completing her suitcase, she put in her computer and two books she wanted to continue reading. I offered to help her carry the bag back to the car, since Judy was the one who was hurt the most. The road from her house to mine, didn't take more than a mere thirty minutes. This time, the path was made in silence, each of us lost in our thoughts. When we arrived at the parking lot, the vacant space was close to the entrance of the building. The engine was switched off. I left first and went to the baggage compartment to pick up the suitcase. Judy also exit the car and, the two of us, entered the building. As we were climbing the elevator to the fifth floor, I noticed that Judy was nervous. She had already come to where I lived but had never gotten out of the car and into my house, so it was understandable how nervous she was. I remember the first time I was invited into her house. I hesitated many times before knock on the door, thinking I should turn around. But I swallowed my nervousness and decided to go in.

We reached the fifth floor and I got out of the elevator first. We crossed half a corridor until we reached my door. I put the suitcase down on the floor and took my paw into my trouser pockets to get the keys out. As soon as I reached them, I put them in the lock and opened the door.

"Welcome to my humble home!" I said, letting she enter first.

Judy nodded at me and, asking for permission, went in, and I did the same and closed the door behind me.

 

**_To be continued…_ **


	10. At Nick's Home

Judy, as she predicted, she didn't feel comfortable at Nick's house at all. She liked to walk around her house at ease, and there she couldn't enjoy the pleasure. Not with Nick. Even if they continued to act like friends, she knew that something had changed in their relationship. And there, alone the two of them, a carelessness would suffice, and she would know that she wouldn't resist anything that fox did. Not that she didn't dream of being able to touch him, kiss him and...  _Argh! Leave those thoughts aside, Judith Hopps._  She shook her head to ward off such thoughts and began to focus her attention around her. In fact, Nick had a beautiful house. Simple, but beautiful. She wondered where he had got the money to support the rent but decided that she would ask him later.

"Judy, here."

His voice removed her from her focus. Nick asked her to sit on the couch. Without protesting, she walked up to the couch and sat down.

"Do you want me to make you something to drink?" he asked her.

"A mint tea if you have one, please."

"No problem at all. Give me a few minutes, then."

Nick rested his suitcase on a chair near the window and, turning his back, went towards the kitchen. On the couch, Judy grabbed the remote from the small table in front of her and turned on the TV. Nothing interesting was on TV until the news channel caught her attention. The images of the place, where they had been hours ago, appeared on the screen. The reporter commented on the events. Once again, they had been considered heroes and she thought it was ridiculous, to be honest. Seconds later, the camera focused on the mammal she had killed, now with a bag over his body. Then she petrified. At that very moment, with the tray on his paws, Nick came out of the kitchen. He put the tray on the table, removed the remote from her paw and turned off the TV.

"That's enough for today," he said and then poured the hot water into the cup.

"We were considered heroes again.” Judy sighed.

"Let's not talk about it now. What do you say we watch a movie?" Nick suggested, passing the cup to her paws. "You can choose want you wanted to watch."

"Anything will do, I'm not weird." Judy blew her tea and then drank a little.

"Action and adventure or comedy?" asked Nick, straying to the closet under the TV and crouched down, opening a small door.

"Comedy.”

He nodded and chose a comedy film from his DVD collection. They could just watch them online, but Nick was a movie collector, so there were plenty of choose on CDS.

The film was very good and provided a lot of laughter. Throughout the section, Judy tried to concentrate. In fact, she enjoyed the film. However, at many times, her eyes turned away from the screen and looked down on Nick. His profile was magnificent. How come she hadn't noticed before? With arms, legs crossed and a serene smile on his face, it was a breathtaking image. At least for her. In addition, his perfume delighted the air around her and her nostrils. Her heart beat fastened more than she thought that could happen. Her mind came up with possible images of vixen which had already had some physical contact with him, and that left her a little disconcerted.

After the film was over, Nick questioned her about what she wanted for dinner. Judy replied that she would leave it in his entire disposition and asked if she could take a bath first, indicating that when she finished she would help him. Nick said no, that dinner would stay with him and that she could enjoy the bath at will. As such, he helped her get up from the couch and indicated where the bathroom would be. But first, he asked her to accompany him to the guest room where she would stay. Taking the small rabbit's suitcase, he guided her down the corridor of the house. After passing two doors, which would be his room and the office, the third was the guest room. Nick did the honors of the house and opened the door. The room was neither too big nor too small and was welcoming. The bed was leaned against a window that would give a vision to a small garden. Next to it, was a closet. A bookcase was parallel to the wall, and a small commode had a small TV on it. Nick put the suitcase at the foot of the bed.

"It's simple, but you can change if you like it."

"That's good. Thank you, Nick." Judy smiled at him.

"Now, if you don't mind, walk me to the bathroom to show you where the towels are."

Judy nodded positively and the two of them left the room. Once in the bathroom, Nick showed where the towels and other things were. After the small demonstration, he left her at ease and went to prepare dinner. In the meantime, Judy returned to her room to pick up a change of underwear and her clothes for walking around the house. As she chose, she remembered that Nick had only seen her once in her casual clothes. But there, she chose with some caution. She would wear her black leggings and a pink top. She would complete her outfit with a pair of little flip-flops in the shape of a sneakers, also the same color as the top. Although they did not wear much shoes, at that time she found those sneakers a perfect combination for the rest of the set. With her clothes in her arms, she went back to the bathroom. However, in the kitchen, Nick was struggling with what to prepare for dinner. He had some knowledge of what rabbits liked to eat but didn't want to add carrots to his recipe. So, he took his tablet and started looking for recipes for rabbits. As many as he liked, he had no problem with that. He'd eat anything.

After an hour, Judy was already dressed. The towel on which she had cleaned herself, shook it and put it over the sliding doors of the bathtub. Then she turned to the mirror above the hand washing and checked that everything was okay. Soon she decided to put some transparent gloss on her lips. She wasn't much of a make-up artist, let alone admiring herself in the mirror to see if everything was all right before she met any male. Not even with her old boyfriends she admired herself in the mirror and tried to fix herself well for him, but for Nick it was different. Being of a different species, she still didn't know what her partner's tastes were and what attracted him to females. Although Judy knew that he liked her anyway, she wanted to look pretty for that particular male. After touching up her fur a bit and looking one last time in the mirror, she put her clothes to wash, just like Nick had told her, in the laundry bowl, and was reluctant to leave her underwear there, she came out of the bathroom. The smell of the food to be made entered through her nostrils. She already knew that he was a good cook and had already had the opportunity to taste his food. But there, she knew that he had worked hard. Walking down the hall, entering the room and opening the kitchen door, she saw that Nick hadn't noticed her presence. Besides, she didn't show up soon, admiring her fox in his uniform wearing an apron. It wasn't the most beautiful image to see, but funny in a way. Containing the laughter, she approached him and stood beside him.

"Do you need help?" Judy asked with a smile on her face.

Nick was a little frightened by the sudden presence of his partner. The effort he made not to bring down what he was doing was enormous. However, he kept his posture and faced her sideways.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd put the dishes on the table. Dinner is almost ready.”

Judy nodded her head positively and strayed towards the closet on the other side.

"On the top shelves are the glasses and plates. In the drawers below, the forks. The towels are in the drawer next to the cutlery."

He instructed her, and she began to set the table.

After a few minutes, the table was already set. Nick had also finished dinner. A small pot was removed from the stove and placed in the middle of the table. Then, he took off his apron and put it on the back of the chair next to him and, moving the chair away from the table in front of him, he sat down. The lid of the pot was removed, and Judy leaned forward to smell the contents.

"It smelled delicious, Nick," she commented, staring at it with a smile.

At this point, Nick glimpsed something different about Judy. Something that wasn't common there. Semi closed his eyes, he tried to see what was different from there. Aside from the clothes that she looked much sexier in that tight top and leggings, that thing he was desperately trying to find, gave her a different glow.

"Carrots?" he called her.

"Mmm..." she replied between her teeth as she picked up the spoon and put it in the pot, taking some of the contents and serving it on the plate.

"Ah... Forget it," he gave up and picked up the spoon when Judy had finished serving herself, now serving himself.

Judy shrugged her shoulders and took a fork into her mouth. Her eyes sparkled when she tasted the food.

Dinner took place calmly and in between conversation. However, the pending matter of their feelings was not mentioned. They both knew it was not the right place to talk about it. The dishes were on Judy's account who offered to wash them. Meanwhile, Nick take the opportunity to take a shower and change his clothes. After the dishes were finished, Judy's mobile phone rang. As the small device was in the living room on the small table, she came out of the kitchen and grabbed it. It was Bogo.

"Good night, Chief." She said hello to him.

"Good night, Hopps. How are you?"

"Better."

"I'm sorry to call you at this hour, and I'm sorry to have to ask you this, since I specify that I didn't want you here, but I need a signature from you and Wilde when you're free."

"No problem at all, Chief. When do you want us to stop by?"

"Early in the morning. Clawhauser gives you the papers you have to sign and then you can go."

"We'll do it."

"And Hopps..." a pause on the other side, followed by a long sigh. "Enter by the back. The front door is full of photographers and reporters, and you don't need that for now."

"Ok. See you in the morning, Chief."

"See you in the morning."

Judy took the phone out of her ear and hung up. She put the little device back on the table. At that moment, the door of the room opened. From there, Nick came out wearing only sweatpants and naked chest. In his paw, the towel still came to clean the fur of his head. Faced with such a vision, Judy felt blushing. Even though she looked away quickly without Nick noticing her discomfort, she managed to admire the abdominals in his chest.  _How muscular he was_. She thought.

"Who was it? If you don’t mind if I ask."

"Bogo. He wants us to stop by to the department tomorrow morning to sign some papers." Judy sat on the couch, "We'll have to do it through the back door, since the front door is full of reporters.”

 _Nothing strange_ , thought Nick.

"Want some coffee?” Nick put the towel on his shoulders.

"Yes," the little bunny replied, now staring at him. "I'll get the computer. I need to do some research," she got up again from the couch towards the bedroom. Nick went to the kitchen to prepare the coffees.

**_To be Continued…_ **


	11. The Feelings Of Both

The nightmare had begun softly, advancing later to something heavy, finally making a chest fill and empty quickly, a cold sweat and a very fast heart. Her eyes were wide open, fixing the white ceiling. It somehow calmed her down.

"Damn!" she grumbled between her teeth, and a clenched fist hit the mattress furiously.

Judy decided to get up and get a glass of water. Passing by that the corridor on her tiptoe so as not to wake Nick, she opened the door to the living room and closed it behind her carefully. The light didn't need to be turned on, as the full moon over the dark night of Zootopia, through the window with the curtains half open, illuminated the path well. The other access door to the kitchen was opened. Once inside, again the light did not need to be turned on. Judy went to the closet where had the glasses and opened it, removing a glass from there. Then, she went to the tap and poured the water. Then, she leaned her back to the cold marble counter and carried the glass to her lips. He drank the water in one shot. In the end, her eyes went towards the window. Through that, she contemplated the moon. Beautiful. Her whole inner self calmed down before the landscape.

"If everything were a sea of roses, it would be easier." Her thoughts came out loud, while a soft smile delineated on her lips.

"By making the right choices, life doesn't make it any easier."

Nick's voice startled her. Her eyes met his emerald greens.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up," she said, laying her glass on top of the marble.

"You didn't wake me.” Nick answered, reassuring her. "I can't sleep, to be honest with you.”

"What torments your mind this time?" Judy asked in jest.

"Many things" he was sincere, and he began to approach her. "But there is one concern that torments me more than the others."

Nick stopped in front of Judy. His paws, they went against the marble of the countertop. His snout was centimeters from hers. Judy, in turn, her instinct and embarrassment told her to push him away and run away. However, she resisted such an impulse and kept quiet. She thanked for being dark and the moonlight to being enough for him not notice how red she was. Then he brought his snout close to her ear and whispered.

"I love you."

Finally, the words she wanted to hear. Words that had once been spoken to her, but which had never reacted to her, and there, at that moment, her heart, already racing, fired. Her interior melted and the smile that had disappeared as a result of his partner's sudden approach, reappeared on her lips. Without uttering any words, Judy took Nick's face from her paws and, without any embarrassment, she pressed her lips into his. What at first was a gentle kiss, the desire for more, made the kiss burning. The air lacked and then they had to separate. At that very moment, Judy hugged him tightly.

"I love you too, and very much, Nick."

"I know," he stroked her head.

"Do you think I can sleep with you tonight?"

At the question, Nick swallowed dry and came loose from the hug.

"Are you sure?" The concern was notorious in his expression. She had just declared herself and she wasn't being a little too quick?

"Nick, it's not what you think." Judy made it clear to her by realizing the situation. "I don't want to have sex with for now. Better said in good words, make love to you. It's not that I didn't like it. I'd be happy to be yours, but my question is because I won't be able to sleep peacefully and alone again".

"A nightmare?”

"Mmm... Mmm." she confirmed.

"I'll be all yours then, on this wonderful night" and he bowed in a joking tone.

"You're such an idiot." Judy laughed and Nick, giving her a paw, where she accepted it, they followed to his room.

The next morning, Nick was the first to wake up. His eyes adjusted to the small brightness that entered the room through the curtains. His snout opened in a yawn. As his brain became more awake, he felt his left arm numb. Turning his head to the side, he noticed that Judy was sleeping deeply with her head on his arm. From such an image, he couldn't let a small smile escape. How beautiful she was. Then he decided he had to take a picture before waking her up. So, he unfolded before the bedside table on his right. With his paw free, he grabbed his mobile phone. Unlocking and opening the camera was quick. After getting a good angle and focusing the image, two photos were taken. Satisfied, he again locked the screen of the mobile phone and put it back on the bedside table. It was here that he noticed the time. Bogo had not specified the time they had to go and sign the papers, but he certainly wanted them to be early and not late. So, the mission of waking up the little rabbit who should be dreaming of paradise began. The smile on her lips almost went from ear to ear.

"Judy?” Nick called her softly, while his vacant paw lovingly caressed her cheek: "Come on, sleeping beauty, we need to go to the department.”

Murmurs were heard, but not noticed. Her eyes began to open very slowly, and she took one of her paws to rub them.

"Good morning, Nick," she greeted him between yawns.

"Good morning, princess. We have to get up."

Judy lifted her head and checked her watch. It was 7:00 in the morning. Then she made an ugly face.

"Why so early?”

"Papers and ZPD, remember?"

The little rabbit turned her eyes and put her head back on the bed, but this time on the pillow.

"First a shower, breakfast and then will go, Ok?"

"Absolutely, queen! Any more wishes?" Nick said jokingly.

"Don't make fun of me." Judy rebukes him, affectionately.

"You don't usually make an ugly face when it comes to going to the department." Nick got up and sat on the edge of the bed.

"It wasn't, but now it is." Judy stared at him, "Everything that's happened has left me, for the moment, with no desire to go for ZPD. I need to rest for a while without any worries about the police. I love my job and still love it, but I want to regain strength first" she was sincere.

Nick smiled at her and kissed her forehead before he got up.

"I will take care of breakfast. Do you need help redoing the bandages?"

"If you don't mind."

"Of course not."

Then the fox took the white shirt that was on the back of the chair and left the room.

The bath was quick. After drying, Judy went back to choosing a pink top, but this time she opted for jeans. Again, the towel was put on the sliding doors of the bathtub. Then she took the first aid kit out of the closet and came out of the bathroom.

"Nick" Judy called him as soon as she entered the kitchen. "There’s the first aid." She put it on the table.

"Give me a few seconds while I put the toast on and I'll take care of you."

"Do you need help?"

He nodded, negatively, with his head. Judy, then, started opening the first aid kit and removed the spray disinfectant, the compresses and the patch. Only the shoulder wound could be treated by her. The abdominal wound would have to be treated at the hospital, which would have to be done the day after tomorrow. Nick finished the coffee and put the toast on. Then he turned around and sat in the chair in front of his partner. Judy turned sideways so that access to the wound would be easier. When the spray was applied, Judy trembled in sudden pain. Then, the compress was applied and then the patch was applied. Nick put the things back in the first aid kit and got up to go check on the toast.

Breakfast followed quietly. The conversation was lively, and after raising the table, they both prepared to go to the department. In the car, the music was what broke the silence. Judy's focus was on the landscape, while Nick's focus was on the road. Not that the two of them were angry, but that moment they weren't talking. The music was interspersed only for Judy to warn that they should go around the department and enter through the emergency door. The crowd of journalists was more than imaginable. Five officers kept the door locked from the inside, while another five tried to maintain balance with the crowd. A somewhat difficult task to maintain. Clawhauser tried to ignore the whole situation forcibly and several sighs came out of his snout. Even his dear Gazelle could not distract him from the situation.

"Good morning, Benjamin."

On the other side of the counter, out of other people's eyes, Judy greeted him. Nick just lifted his paw. Clawhauser diverted his attention to the two friends.

"Hello, how are you?"

"As much as possible," Judy replied smiling at him.

Meanwhile, Nick strayed a little from the wall that limited his vision for the Hall and growled at the situation and got back on his feet.

"What parasites," he grumbled between his teeth.

"They've been here since five in the morning. Can you believe it?" Benjamin has the same disposition as Nick.

"Don't they have anything else interesting to do?"

"You are considered heroes for the second time. You're as famous as my dear Gazelle."

Nick twisted his nose at such information. What he wanted most was his quiet life and not to be famous. The fame he had for those who shouldn't be was enough.

"This will pass.” Judy tried to be optimistic, but deep down she would know that this whole situation would not go away. At least not so fast. "Do you have the papers we need to sign?”

"Oh, yes, the papers. One minute."

Clawhauser strayed from their and went around the counter until he stood in front of the Hall. Then he crouched down and took out a briefcase with several papers. He went back to straightening up and getting close to them.

"Here you go," he handed them the briefcase, in which Nick stretched his paw to receive it. "It will take a while to sign it all. I advise you to go to a quieter place."

"Thank you!" She thanked him, turning her back on the cheetah and telling Nick to fill out the papers in both their offices.

In fact, the papers took a long time to fill out. It took them an hour to finish it. In the meantime, Nick was already snorting from all sides. When the pen landed beside him and the papers were placed stacked and straight back in the briefcase, the long sound sigh interrupted the silence that had taken over the place.

"Did you finish, Carrots?" he questioned, after getting up from his desk and approaching his bunny.

"Just sign this one and I'm done."

The name was written down. The papers were stacked and straightened and put back in the briefcase. Nick was in charge of handing the papers back to Clawhauser.

"What do you think about having lunch in a restaurant and enjoying the rest of the day at the cinema?”

"That would be great for me." Judy smiled at him. "I need to be a little distracted.”

"So, go to the car and wait for me."

Nick kissed the forehead of his bunny and left the office. Judy did the same, going to the car.

**_To be continued…_ **


	12. In BunnyBurrow

The lunch and movie plan were totally changed as soon as they left ZPD. That's because, when Nick got back in the car, he thought it was better for lunch and the cinema to be at his house.

"What's the problem now?" Judy asked him, when he suggested going home instead of the restaurant.

"We're everywhere."

"Be more specific, please."

"I stopped by the canteen before handing over the briefcase to Clawhauser. One of our colleagues warned us that we should stay away from the Zootopia for a while." he said. "If we are seen in public, we will be approached by reporters. Wherever we are.”

Judy took a deep breath. She knew what it was like to be famous because of the previous case and it took more than a few good days for everything to return to normal. Although in some places they are going to be well recognized, it never affected their personal lives. But, with this case, the subject was different.

"I think we should go to my hometown for a few days." she suggested, and Nick couldn't agree more than that.

Although he knew that his peace would be interrupted by the 'I don't know how many' brothers and sisters of his rabbit, yes, he had lost count of how much relatives she had, at least he preferred the warmth of her future family and not the reporters and journalists.

"We will stay at my house for these three days until we remove the stitches. As soon as we have nothing more to do with the hospital, we will leave during the remaining holidays for BunnyBurrow."

Judy agreed to a positive nod of her head and Nick started the car engine towards home.

               The three days went by quickly. Nothing new happened. Apart from a few romantic moments between the recent couple, on a more intimate level they had to wait for their recovery. Also, although Judy's bitterness could not be more intimate with her fox, the doctor forbade her from extra efforts. The day they left the hospital with the stitches removed, Judy was again told not to make physical efforts. She well disguised her displeasure with her forced smile, but Nick could notice the sarcasm and could not control himself anymore, until in the car, he burst to laugh. Judy faced him with angry expression and crossed her arms, turning her head to the landscape in order to disguise her reddish face.

The next day, Nick and Judy had their bags packed. During the three days, she had called her parents to inform them that during the remaining holidays they would spend there. In addition to the fact that the festival would take place next week and that all the extra hand work was needed, their disappearance from Zootopia had to happen and quickly.

The clock was ticking at 3:00 p.m. At 2 p.m. both of them had already headed for the train station. The rest of the time was spent calmly, where they settled in a pastry eating something before catching the train. When the interlocutor said that the train to BunnhBurrow would start its departure, Nick and Judy settled in a Vip compartment, out of the sight of others.

The journey would last at least an hour and a half. During that time, Nick would keep his attention on a book and Judy would write in her notebook. For a few days now, she had been pointing out what was important in her life in that little notebook. Not that she would forget what would happen in her life, but it would be nostalgic to look at what she had written years later.

Meanwhile, Nick's focus was not on the words his eyes read. In fact, he hadn't left the same page in a few minutes. His mind was wandering somewhere else. Places, those, that were making him a little 'hot'. He didn't know if it was because she had the same feelings as him and/or because both of them were attracted to each other in many possible ways, but the soft and pleasant scent she transmitted made his interior react. Several times he had to control himself. The kisses they exchanged became increasingly erotic and... delicious. He was not a poor virgin and knew very well when that heat entered him. However, several times in the past he tried to alleviate his 'frustrations' in another vixen, which could be counted well by his fingers on how many they were, that aroma attracted him at a dangerous speed that he couldn't get through anyway. Not that he would be rejected in any way. He knew well that Judy wanted him too, but they were different sizes. They are totally different species and...

"Nick, I'll get something to drink. Do you want anything?"

Judy interfered with his thoughts. Over the book, he stared at her.

"One water and fresh, please.”

Judy nodded with her head and got up. She kept the notebook back in her suitcase and removed her wallet, leaving the cabin and closing the door. At that moment, Nick closed the book and put it on his legs. His left elbow landed on the window parapet, where with his paw bent, he rested his chin and stared at the landscape, taking a deep breath.

_You have to be patient, Wilde._

The rest of the trip was livelier. Judy explained that they would probably have to help with the preparations for the carrot festival that would take place within three days. She reinforced that he would be left with less heavy tasks because he was still in recovery, as she would know that he would do anything to please his family, even if they had already welcomed him well.

The interlocutor warned that the next stop would be BunnyBurrow. Nick got up and removed the bags from the top shelves. With them on his paws, Judy opened the door and left towards the exit door of the train. When the train stopped, and the doors opened, which would be a large reception, it was reduced to half a dozen brothers and sisters, including their parents. To the amazement of the rabbit and to the relief of the fox.

"Judy, darling, welcome back."

Bonnie went away from her children and husband and hugged her daughter, who gave her the hug back.

"Hello mother" she smiled at her.

Then Bonnie hugged Nick beside her.

"I see you look better." she said, smiling.

"Yes, we're much better now." Judy answered

"What are you waiting for?" Bonnie turned to her children. "Come say hello to your sister and Nick."

They did so as soon as they had permission. Tight hugs made Judy tear a little and not care about the little pain she felt when she was pressed hard. Nick tried not to make an ugly face. Although he was thankful for that affection and love, he wasn't used to so many hugs at the same time. After a warm welcome, Judy decided to go with her mother on foot shopping for some ingredients, while Nick more Stu would go together with the little terrors, so Nick had nicknamed them, in the van back home.

"I'm sorry about them." said Stu breaking the silence. "Besides the other family of foxes who have lived here for several years, you are a kind of celebrity around here. Hence their enthusiasm." Stu laughed. Nick can't help but smile. It was better to be famous in a quiet place than in Zootopia.

"I expected some enthusiasm. And, to be honest, some fear in his expressions."

"I understand what you're saying. They are more open-minded than we are. Even my older children, who don't live with us anymore, come to see you sooner."

Nick felt a little blushing. After all, he thought the reception would be different. Although Judy's parents already felt comfortable with him, that didn't mean that his brothers and sisters were the same. Especially those who were of the same litter as his rabbit. However, he saw that he was wrong and thanked for the warmth of that family, since his family no longer existed.

"I thank you for everything.”

"We are the ones who have to thank you for protecting my daughter."

"I would do it again."

"I know you would."

Those words on Nick's part comforted a father's fearful heart. He could rest easy leaving his daughter on that mammal's paws.

At the market, Bonnie stoped at a stall to buy some vegetables. Meanwhile, Judy greeted some mammals she hadn't seen in a long time. When she met with her mother again, Bonnie already had the vegetables in her basket and paid the bill. They strayed from there and continued their journey to another stall.

"When can I get things ready for the wedding?”

"MOM" she screamed and felt blushing.

"Oh, come on, Judy. He likes you and you like him. You both living in the same house, do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Nothing happened." Judy tried to disguise the disappointment in her voice.

"How did nothing happen?” Bonnie suddenly stopped in front of her daughter and raised her eyebrows. "Are you telling me nothing happened? Is Nick sick or something?"

"Oh, Mother. Do we have to have that conversation?"

"Yes, my dear, and you don’t need to be ashamed. Even though I'm your mother, you can tell me anything."

"I know that, but it's still a little embarrassing."

"I don't care. Now tell me, why didn't anything happen between you?"

"It's not that nothing happened. That is... Um... We already kissed?!" Judy shrugged her shoulders.

"That's it?" the shock was visible in Bonnie's expression. "Poor Nick!" she rolled her eyes and shook her head in denial.

"Mom, for God's sake."

"Judy, darling, you have to go further than just kissing."

"Do I really have to discuss my intimate life with my own mother?" Judy sighed deeply.

"I don't care about your intimate life, but you have to understand Nick's situation. I believe he's held on these days and that's be hard on him." Bonnie sighed "Have you noticed the difference in your body, correct?" Judy knew what her mother meant. She nodded, positively with her head.

"I know my scent has changed and Nick must have felt it by now. But, Mom, regardless of things, I think it's too early to have any sexual intercourse. Besides, I'm forbidden to make any physical effort, if you know what I mean."

"Oh, but there are many ways to..."

"Mum, please, let's not go in there."

"Whatever." Bonnie shrugged her shoulders and walked again. "But I warn you not to keep him waiting too long. Your scent will be stronger every day. So far, Nick has handled it well, but that doesn't mean it will happen in the future. Your scent becomes an aphrodisiac to him. The longer he inhales it, the more he won't be able to take it." she turns her back on her daughter.

Judy took a paw to her face to hide how red she was. Although her ears denounced her well. It's just that, before her mother's explanation, in which she was already familiar, images of her own really did cross her mind. If at that moment she looked at her fox and made her vibrate, now with the subject spoken of, she would know that she couldn't face him without getting worse than a tomato.

The shopping didn't take long, in which Bonnie and Judy arrived home long before dinner. Inside, Bonnie went to the kitchen to start preparing dinner and dismissed Judy to rest for a while, since she had said it would help. So, she climbed the stairs of the house to her old room and thanked her mother for not letting any of her younger sisters keep him. Nostalgia swept her away as soon as she opened the door. Everything was as it had been, and she thanked the mother once again for keeping him clean. She closed the door behind her and walked to her bed, where she sat.

"I miss this" A serene smile reappeared on her face. One of her paws caressed the quilt.

Two knocks on the door awakened her from her sensation.

"Come on in." she gave permission.

"So, this is Agent Hopps' famous room."

Nick had to bend down a little to get through the door, closing the it behind him.

"It's no big deal."

"It's very welcoming. Although I thought I'd find something more... feminine?"

"I've never been a mummy's girl. I've always been considered a girl-boy. Either way, my favorite color is red and not pink."

"I see that." Nick smiled in a dumb smile and sat on the bed next to his bunny.

The room was actually simple. The red one stood out in the curtains of the small window, in some ornaments and on the quilt. A small closet next to the window, plus the desk and the bedside table. There was no television, but to replace that, a bookcase with several books filled a corner of the small room. And there were no posters.

"I thought you at least had some Gazelle posters?"

"I'm a fan, but not an exaggeration. I like the walls without posters." Judy replied, laughing

"Yes. I prefer your little paintings, to be honest with you." He smiled at her.

The silence fell on both of them for a few seconds, until it was interrupted by the little knock on the door. On the other side, a small voice asked permission to enter. Judy jumped out of bed and walked to the door where she opened it. From there, a small rabbit, aged 5, smiled and jumped into a tight hug. Judy returned the small gesture.

"My little Julia." she said.

"Aunt." The little smile on the little rabbit, made Nick smile too, surrendering to the strange sweetness of the image.

"How you've grown."

Judy let go of the hug and looked at her niece from top to bottom. She had no favorite nephew and/or brother and sister, but that little rabbit, being the first niece of her eldest brother in the litter, moved her a lot. Besides, she had the same color of eyes as Judy, but her fur was shiny white with some gray spots. Two black stripes on each cheek denounced who she was a daughter of.

"The father said the aunt would be around and I asked her to come."

"Speaking of your father, where is he?”

"With grandmother. The mother is helping grandfather".

That's when little Julia's eyes met Nick's eyes. At that moment, she asked her aunt to put her on the floor. Judy did so. Then she strayed and, with gentle steps, began her approach to the fox. Her eyes glowed as Nick's figure filled her vision. Nick immediately fell in love with the little one. She was indeed a beautiful and, in a way, very cute bunny. Besides, Nick noticed that there was no fear in the little girl's eyes, but simply admiration.

"Julia, this is Nick." Judy introduced them, "Nick, Julia is my brother Jack's eldest daughter."

"Hello, little one." Wilde greeted her with a smile, stretching his paw to greet her.

Little Julia didn't speak, but immediately stretched her little paw to meet the fox's paw.

"Hello." she said very quietly.

Nick realized that she was very embarrassed by his presence, as her ears denounced an unusual pink color.

"I will leave you two alone. I'm going to say hello to my brother."

Judy said, going astray and leaving the room, closing the door behind her.

**_To be continued…_ **


	13. Little Julia and Nick

Little Julia's admiration let his heart be filled with emotion. Knowing that his species did not frighten her, he felt happy. When Julia's paw went to meet his paw, Nick pulled her close to him, grabbing her by the waist and sitting her on his lap.

"Nicholas Wilde, at your service, princess!" the bow he bowed, along with his smile, made the poor rabbit blush until she could no longer.

Julia tried to disguise her embarrassment, but her fingers intertwined with each other, denounced her embarrassment.

"Uncle Nick?" her eyes looked sideways at the fox and again at her paws.

Faced with such words, Nick was the one who had to turn his face away. If Judy saw him at that moment, she would laugh herself to death, since the little bunny was the one who made him embarrassed. Taking a deep breath and trying to recover from his embarrassment, he turned his face back to Julia and smiled again. 

"Tell me, little Julia?”

"Can I sit next to you for dinner?"

"And why not? But you have to tell your parents." Nick winked at her.

"Oh, but they already know." The little bunny's embarrassment seemed to have disappeared, now giving way to a version of an excited Julia.

"Have you sure?” Nick raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Yes, I told my father and mother that I wanted to meet aunt's boyfriend and that I liked to have dinner with you. They agreed right away."

Nick didn't know if he should be flattered that he could sit next to Julia and/or worry about the situation. Yeah, her parents could have said that just to make her calm and...

"If you don't want to, I can join Mom and Dad for dinner." Julia said, with a sad expression.

"Oh, of course I don't mind, little one. I'll be happy to be by your side."

At that moment, Julia hugged him, taking him completely by surprise.

"Thank you, Uncle Nick," and came out of his lap. "I'll my aunt know that I'll be by your side for dinner."

Julia then went to the bedroom door and opened it and left. Nick, in turn, took a paw to his face. He couldn't help but smile with the warmth and love with which he was being received.

In the dining room, Judy helped her sister-in-law set the table. However, minutes earlier, she had greeted her brother and sister-in-law when she reached them in the kitchen. After the usual greetings, Jack asked his sister where Julia was, in which she replied that she had stayed in the room with Nick.

"Admiration for him is huge." said Daisy, her sister-in-law, after she finished putting the glasses on the table.

"It could be seen in her eyes."

"Ever since she found out you had a fox partner, she started wanting to know more about him." they both laughed "I think I have to start getting used to the idea that Julia will have a fox boyfriend in the future."

"Who knows?” Judy shrugged her shoulders and started putting the plates on.

"Even though she's my daughter, she looks very much like she has your personality. It's not her dream to be a cop like her aunt, but the passion and interest she has for foxes is great.”

" Daisy, I didn't know I would fall in love with a fox."

"But you also didn't consider marrying one of your own kind, did you?"

 _OK, she was right_. Judy sighed after she finished putting all the dishes in and making sure none were missing.

"Apart from Julia, it's your brother who don’t shows a lot of enthusiasm for meeting the famous Nick." Daisy had approached her sister-in-law and stopped in front of her. "Although we knew that your parents would be worse off receiving the information, Jack was not very convinced of your boyfriend's attitudes. To be honest with you, when little Julia's admiration became too much, the two of them ended up arguing. Jack insisted that Nick might not be trustworthy, and you know the rest. Seeing poor Julia defend tooth and nail that Nick was nothing like that ended up hurting him in a way but opening the eyes of another. All the way here, Julia instructed her father to keep quiet and not argue with Uncle Nick. To be the loving father she knew and not to be a closed mind like her grandfather," in a way, that little argument made Daisy laugh all the way over here and gave Jack a huge headache. "So, I don't think I'll have a son-in-law of the same kind as her."

Judy couldn't be prouder of Julia. She'd have to hug her niece tightly for defending her fox in front of her brother's stubborn. Although Judy knew all that mistrust was natural. After all, he was very protective.

"For my part, you have my full support. After all, sister-in-law, you chose well." Daisy winked at her and Judy knew what she was talking about.

"Mother, aunt?”

From the stairs, little Julia ran frantically, stopping only when she reached her mother, grabbing her mother by the leg.

"Hello, dear. What's going on?”

"Uncle Nick let me sit with him for dinner."

"That's great." Daisy crouched down and picked up her daughter. "And where do you want to sit with him?"

"There!"

Julia pointed her little finger at the head of the table, where three chairs were exposed. Usually, this was where the parents would sit to have a broad view of their children, but as Judy and Nick would be the guests of honor, in a way, the mother and father would not mind giving up their seats.

"Can I stay in the middle, aunt?"

"Of course, dear."

"Yupi."

Daisy put her daughter back on the floor.

"I'm going to get Uncle Nick" and with that, she ran back up the stairs.

"I think you have a rival." Daisy laughed, and Judy accompanied her.

Dinnertime came. Bonnie had shouted around the house calling her kids for dinner. Daisy and Jack sat next to where Nick would be. Stu and Bonnie sat down next to Judy, who was finishing putting the food on the table. Nick was walking down the stairs pushed by Julia. When they reached the table, Nick did the honors and pulled the chair so little Julia could sit down. After the little bunny had settled in, he took off his chair and sat down.

The food was served, and dinner went very pleasantly. At least for almost all members of the family, there is one particular rabbit who, from time to time, looked sidewise at the fox with an expression of disinterest. Jack had no great affection for the fox. First because of what happened to his uncle, second because he wanted the best for his sister and third because he knew that in the future he would have a son-in-law fox because of the enthusiasm Julia showed for Nick in particular. Distracted by these glances was Nick, who enjoyed playing with Julia beside him and talking to the rest of the family. At the end of dinner, Bonnie, Daisy and Judy got up from the table to collect the plates and platters of the food, to be replaced by dessert and the plates for that occasion. At this point, Jack also decided to get up and help. His intention was to catch his sister alone in the kitchen. Which, in the end, happened.

"Rarely see you helping to clear the table.” innocently, Judy smiled at her brother when she saw him entering the kitchen, while she put the dishes in the sink.

"What's your idea?”

"Idea? What are you talking about?"

"Him."

 _Oh, OK, I get it_. Judy took a deep breath and dropped the plates. Then she turned to her brother.

"What's the matter now?" she folded her arms.

"Don't you remember what happened to our uncle? Besides, you've already suffered the rage of a fox on your skin." he kept his voice down, but his calm was about to be interrupted.

"What happened to our uncle was totally a rumor. As for the other thing you mentioned, it was an accident."

"He's still a predator."

"Jack, please, see how your daughter interacts with him and he interacts with her. Do you see anything wild?" Judy was trying at all costs to keep her patience and not let her anger take over.

"I don't trust him. And I only let her interact with him because of Daisy. It's enough headache for me to listen Julia to talk about Nick every day."

Judy rolled her eyes and carried her paw to her forehead in frustration mode. How could she shut him up there without getting into a fight? Jack was stubborn, worse than her father. Convincing Stu that Nick is good wasn't as hard as she thought and she thought it wouldn't be with the brothers either since they were more open-minded. However, she had forgotten that Jack was a little different.

"Give me more reasons not to trust him? Because being a predator is very irrelevant."

"That's enough!

"Jack, that's no justification. Why don't you try getting to know him better and draw your own conclusions? Physical appearance alone doesn't count."

"Just the physiognomy is enough to draw my conclusions."

"Jack..." Judy was beginning to lose patience and that would give bad results.

"You won't be able to change me that fast. I don't know what kind of drugs you gave to ours parents to accept such a relationship."

It was the last straw. An open paw went hard towards the brother's face. Her eyebrows, they gathered in the middle of an angry expression. 

"Otherwise you accept, it's your problem. Now, don't say I did something to ours parents to make them understand my relationship with Nick's." She walked past him in quick steps and before leaving the kitchen, warned him. “And you have no right to talk about Nick." And she left the kitchen.

In the meantime, Jack had been stunned. One of his paws ran into the hot cheek. It was the first time he saw his sister so angry and the first time she hit him. Either way, his opinion wouldn't change. He would make her see that Nick could not be trusted.

**_To be continued…_ **


	14. Quiet Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote a word wrong. It's sweetheart not sweat heart. Sorry, I can't change now, but I leave the note in here.

_What the hell does he think he is, to talk about Nick like that? Argh!_  A closed paw went against the pillow in front of her.

 After that little conversation with her brother, Judy stopped in the hallway, closed her fists like her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't want anyone to notice her frustration and be bombarded with questions. Despite her expressiveness in denouncing her several times, she tried to relax her expression to the whole world. The rest of the dinner ran smoothly. Jack totally ignored the fox beside him, but sometimes he looks away at his sister. As soon as Judy noticed he was staring at her, she turned her face away, holding her attention on little Julia who was having fun with Nick. And thanked her partner for being distracted, since she even trying at all costs to disguise her expression, she knew that he would notice something. After finishing dinner, Bonnie dismissed Judy to show Nick the house to become familiar. At that same moment, Julia also wanted to join them. Jack well tried to stop it, claiming that it was already late and that they would have to go home, but Daisy interrupted him, indicating that a few more minutes would not be problematic. After all, it was still early for the little one to go to sleep right after eating. After the short demonstration, Julia said goodbye to Nick and Judy, as did Daisy and Jack, and Judy forced a smile by hugging her brother and Jack did everything he could not to spit to the side and twist his nose at the tightness of his paws. When everything calmed down, Judy would have figured that Nick would go to sleep in her room. Her mother made a point of 'lying' that there would be no more rooms available, so he would have to sleep in hers. As the bed was small, Bonnie handed them two mattresses, so that they could be laid on the floor and the fox would be comfortable. One more sheet and he could have a quiet night's sleep. After the bed had been made with care and ingenuity as to how it could fit into a small room, Nick reported that he would take a shower before going to bed, in which Judy asked him to use her bathroom. Yes, upstairs was the eldest’s room. That is, there were three bathrooms for the ladies and three for the boys. As all the older brothers had already left the house, leaving at least two of Judy's age, the toilets would have more privacy. However, she insisted that he use hers, since when she lived there, no one was allowed to enter it and until now no one did it even though she was not living there anymore. It became a matter of habit. After taking the towel he had brought with him and his clothes, he left, but before that, he kissed her lightly on her lips.

 The shower water's been opened. While waiting for the water to warm up, Nick undressed. His clothes, he folded them and left them on top of the toilet seat. Then, he looked at himself in the mirror above the washbasin. Although he was distracted by little Julia, about how much of his eye, he managed to glimpse his rabbit in the hallway before joining them on the table again. In the picture, he saw Judy take a deep breath before she opened her eyes again, put her angelic smile on her face and sit at a table. Something had happened, and he knew it had been with her brother, since when she and Daisy got up, he also did it.

The curtains were shifted, and he entered the bathtub. The hot water in the fur made him relaxes a bit. Something had happened, and he would have to find out what it was. In the bedroom, Judy took advantage of Nick's trip to the bathroom to take off her clothes and put on a black mini top and shorts of the same color. Then, she stuffed herself under the sheet and picked up her mobile phone. When Nick got out of the shower and went back to the room, Judy was already asleep. The opportunity to find out what had happened would have to wait until the next day. He approached his rabbit, pulled the sheet to cover her more and kissed her forehead before settling into his predictive bed. It wasn't long before he fell asleep.

 The morning woke up with a soft, fresh breeze. The sun was rising on the horizon softly. Through the curtains, the small rays entered the room. Judy was the first to wake up. She had had a great night's sleep. Something that hadn't happened in a few days. Her eyes opened slowly, getting used to the luminosity. As her vision began to become clearer, she noticed that Nick was still sleeping deeply. Seeing the serene face of her fox made a soft smile sprout from her lips. Next, Judy consulted the clock. It was early, but possibly her mother was already preparing breakfast for her brothers and sisters. In a yawn, she pulled the sheets back. Her feet were carefully placed on the floor so as not to hit the mattress and wake up the 'sleeping beauty'.

 In the kitchen, Bonnie cooked cheerfully. The humming that came out of her lips filled the room with a pleasant melody.

 "Good morning, Mother."

 Judy's greeting startled the poor rabbit who almost knocked over the tray with her toast on the floor.

 "I'm sorry," said Judy when she realized the situation.

 "Good morning, dear." Bonnie put the tray on the table and smiled at her daughter. "Is Nick still asleep?"

"Yes. Do you need help?"

"I'd appreciate it if you'd make the coffee."

 Judy strayed from the kitchen entrance to the counter, starting to prepare the coffee.

 "Honey, what does Nick like?"

"The toast and the coffee are enough."

 The silence fell on both again. But Judy knew her mother was eager to find out if anything had happened between the two of them. There was no need for words as her lips were firmly closed and looks down on her.

 "Nothing happened, Mother!”

"I did not ask anything.”

"It is not necessary.” Judy smiled and removed the kettle with the coffee already made from the stove, turning to the table where she put the kettle on the tray.

"The festival is at the door. Your father and some of your brothers are already taking care of things. Do you think Nick would be willing to help them?"

"Why not?” Judy shrugged her shoulders to her mother's strange question.

"You've been through a lot and I don't know if he's physically well enough to help.”

"As long as he doesn’t do heavy lifting, I don't see what the problem is." Judy turned her back on her mother to pick up the cups in the closet. "I'll ask him."

Breakfast was served. Bonnie had left her daughter alone to go and call the little ones who were still sleeping. Judy put the plates and cups on the table, when Nick came downstairs, as he was stretching. As he approached his rabbit, he put an arm over her waist and kissed her between her ears.

"Good morning, sweat hear." he greeted her.

"Good morning, Nick." She caresses the kiss and continued what she was doing.

Nick, on the other hand, wondered if she wanted help, which she denied, and sat down at the table, starting to serve himself.

"My father needs help at the festival. Do you think you can give him a paw?"

"No problem." he answered, starting to put butter on his toast.

"But remember, you can't make any effort.”

"I know, sweat heart.” He smiled at her and now put the coffee in the cup.

Breakfast went smoothly. After everyone had eaten, Nick apologized and got up and changed his pajamas for more comfortable clothes to go help Stu. Judy kept helping her mother tidy up the kitchen and take care of the sweets they were going to put on at the festival.

Two days passed with tranquility. Nick had always been busy helping set up the festival. In addition to being well received by the Hopps family, the villagers also showed interest in the fox, in which he was tenderly welcomed into a second family. Judy always stayed with her mother and older sisters in the preparation of food and sweets among other things. During this time, little Julia was always with Nick. Even if the work wasn't for her, the little rabbit would find a way to help her ‘crush’ on other things. Meanwhile, Jack kept his mouth shut. From time to time his eyes crossed with the fox's, but soon they strayed and that reminded Nick that he hadn't asked what had happened to him and his sister the day they arrived in BunnyBurrow.

"What's going on between you and your brother?" With his shoulder leaning against the doorpost of the bedroom, his arms were crossed.

The night had already fallen, and dinner had been served. It was time to go to bed and he did not waste any more time to ask her.

"Do we really have to have this conversation?”

The fatigue in the poor rabbit's expression was visible. Besides, she had already changed her clothes and lay down on the bed. However, she remained seated with her back on the wood.

"I saw you taking a deep breath and that indicates that the conversation you must have had in the kitchen the other day, was not the best.”

"Jack won't accept my relationship with you." Judy said in a sigh. "He accused me of drugging my parents into accepting you."

Nick would know deep down that not everyone would welcome him. He himself was surprised that he had not yet had a reaction of hatred towards his kind. But there would always be some kind of mammal against it.

"Don't stress about it, Carrots." on his face, a soft smile outlined. "I don't think he'll accept it anymore because of little Julia." he shrugged his shoulders.

"Admiration of the little one is immense." Judy laughed in a way.

"She didn't stop following me everywhere. Can you believe she wanted to help me take the wood to the tent building?" Nick laughed, and Judy accompanied him. "As she saw she couldn't, she started crying. I told her to help me give me the nails, telling her to watch her fingers and that it was not for playing."

"She is a smart child. Having a protective father, I believe that nails would not be a danger." Judy shrugged her shoulders "Besides, she always helped her mother in the kitchen and her father in the workshop. So even though she's five, she knows what's bad and what she can play with."

"As for Jack, I must admit that his look on me, is already beginning to annoy me a bit, but give him time. Let's enjoy the festival and when you feel more comfortable, you'll talk to him again."

Judy nodded. Nick got up, kissed her softly on the lips and went to his bed. They both fell into a deep sleep.

**_To be continued…_ **


	15. The Beginning of the Festival

"Wow, Nick's gonna get his chin down."

 The excitement was visible in her sister-in-law's expression. Dazzled by what her green eyes reflected, she was sure the poor fox wouldn't hold.

 "It's not necessary to exaggerate too much."

 In front of the fulfilled mirror next to her closet, Judy admired her image. The dress was simple and light pink. Her dresser went no further than her knees. The straps were thin, and the V-neckline fitted her breasts well. The chosen sabrines were black, without ornaments. On her lips, a very light rose gave a small glow. The black eyeliner brought out the violet color of her eyes. The eyelashes were lengthened with the black mascara, and the excess was removed to make them very natural, since Judy already has some very long eyelashes. A small black bow was placed around her left ear. She had to admit that she was gorgeous, but she didn't need all that. If she remembers correctly, never she had so much been produced for the festival. And she had reasons for it. Not interested in finding any partner, the clothes chosen were quite casual.

 "Oh, boy. I miss when I was getting ready to seduce Jack.” Daisy, now sitting on the bed, remembered the good old days. “I was also at the beginning of dating, and I wanted him to have eyes only for me." she somehow smiled when she remembered that. "As you know, Jack was a heart conqueror. No matter what species, they looked at him from top to bottom, taking all the measurements while drooling. I thought to myself that he was mine and not them. So, I tried my best to dazzle him, even though I knew he loved me anyway."

"I would have liked to be present to see that.”

 Judy laughed. She knew her brother very well and seeing him in love passed her by, which in a way made her sad, because stubborn as he was, she wanted to had mess with him.

 "You were busy with your studies and becoming a police officer. Either way, it was funny. Now, what do you think about going? Nick must be tired of looking at his watch and we still have to walk to the restaurant."

"Speaking of Nick, where's Julia?" Judy asked, picking up her little bag.

"Where do you think? She's been choosing her dress since morning, 'Mama, what do you think?’ she'd ask every dress she took out of her drawer, 'Do you think Uncle Nick would like it?' The glow in her eyes was amazing. You're lucky she's small, because if she were our age, you'd have a rival who'd give you a good headache." Daisy laughed and got out of bed. “Well, it's time to see Nick's drool. Let's go!"

"So just you, Daisy."

 And they both left the room.

 In a way, the sister-in-law's contagious joy calmed her nerves. Although she's used to the presence of her fox, it wasn't every day that Nick could see her dressed up. Or in good words, very dazzling. And that, was leaving her heart at an uncontrolled speed as they approached the festival and the restaurant where they were going to have dinner before enjoying the party. Suddenly, Daisy stops halfway. She took a paw in the pocket of her jeans and removed her mobile phone.

 "What do you want it for?" Judy questioned her, confused.

"Oh, not even dead that I'm going to miss this moment. I want to be able to watch Nick's drool video, admiring it was many times I want."

"Ah..."

"Don't look at me like that. Ever since I heard your partner was a fox, I've been super excited. I'm a great shipper of you guys. So, let me feed my fantasies at to my will." Daisy noted, putting the camera ready to shoot as soon as they entered the restaurant. Judy just shrugged her shoulders, rolled her eyes and walked again.

 As Daisy predicted, Nick's reaction was better than she had imagined. As soon as they entered the restaurant, little Julia lifted her paw, waving where they were. Jack looked in their direction, but soon he looked away with a twitched nose. He knew his wife was a big fan of his sister and his future brother-in-law and since morning both she and his daughter had been stirred by his nerves, in which he disconnected himself from them and went to his workshop to focus on something other than that crazy excitement. On the other hand, Nick had immense control over not opening his mouth, demonstrating how dazzling his bunny was. Everything about her was perfect. To him, she was already beautiful anyway, but there, in that dress, gods. As for Judy, her nerves had fired. Her eyes met his eyes for a brief moment. But she didn't stop smiling when she knew the impact her image had had on him. In addition, Nick had also worked hard on his clothes. The white blouse with the two buttons opens made the rabbit bite her lower lip in disguise. The black jeans matched perfectly with the blouse and shoes of the same color as the pants. There's part of their world, was Daisy. Her mobile phone had been forgotten, in which she thanked them, for the two and continued filming until the two of them sat down at the table.

 "Don't you think you're exaggerating a little?" Jack approached his wife and whispered in her ear.

"No." Daisy replied, dryly, turning off the camera and putting her cell phone away. "And I think it's about time you started accepting what your eyes can see."

 Jack growled softly and turned his attention to the menu on his paws in order not to see the 'romantic moment' of those two idiots and to choose what he would like to eat.

 "Aunt, you're beautiful," said little Julia in front of Judy, smiling.

"Thank you." she replied with a smile. Then she turned her attention to Nick who was still in his world.

"Nick?” Judy called his attention.

 The Fox returned to earth and smiled at her. He wanted to tell her how dazzling he looked, but he would keep the word for later when they were alone.

 After dinner and dessert, coffee was served. Meanwhile, Jack, Daisy and Julia had left the table first to go for a walk at the festival. Meanwhile, Nick and Judy were happily talking without worry.

 "Have I told you how beautiful you look?” Nick broke the conversation they were having, to send the word he wanted to send when they were still accompanied.

"Oh, not yet, Slick. What take you so long?" Judy joked about the situation. Not that that's what she really wanted to say at that moment, but in order to try to disguise her embarrassment, she thought it best to say it.

"You're pretty to me anyway, but I have to tell you that dress makes you look gorgeous."

 Although a little nervous, his mouth was saying the words that his mind was thinking at that moment, without control. Not that he wasn't going to say them, but his heart was beating at an overwhelming rate. Judy hoped her ears weren't denouncing her because she was boiling inside. Their romantic moment was broken by little Julia. From the door of the restaurant, the little girl ran towards them, rampantly. Also, at the door, Daisy took her paws together to her snout, in a 'forgiveness' mode. Judy and Nick smiled at her and indicated with a sign that there would be no problem.

 The festival was full of mammals. In addition to those who lived in BunnyBurrow, other mammals from all over the province had been coming to celebrate the Carrot Festival for some years. There was a bit of everything. The little ones used to have fun on the carousels. The adults took the opportunity to see the tents set up around the festival, many of which were intended for shooter games or others where the reward would be a stuffed animal. Small or large, there was a choice. In addition to the food and drink, a small stage in the center of the festival featured a group of musicians who filled the venue with their songs of various genres. Nick and Judy walked with little Julia. Daisy had argued with her daughter to leave her aunt and uncle alone, but the little girl started tantrums, saying she wanted to walk with them during the festival. Nick reassured Daisy, saying that it would be okay to take her with them. In which, she crouched and indicated to her daughter that she should be next to the stage at 10pm to go to her grandparents' house to go to sleep. Since it was a party, the little one could stay up a little longer.

 In a bar, two bottles of beer rested on the table almost empty. Facing each other, two mammals were talking.

 "The plan is simple, do you understand?" One of them said, carrying the bottle to his lips, savoring its contents.

"Perfectly”" replied the other with a smile on his lips. That smile was evil.

 The plan was simple in his vision, and over the years he had been hired for much worse things. Although he told himself that he would leave the life of a bandit before retiring, he would have to avenge his long-time friends. When he heard of the leopard's death, anger filled his entire interior. Knowing who had caused his friend's death, he did not think twice. He would take revenge at any cost. Those two would suffer the consequences without any shame.

  ** _To be continued…_**


	16. Mark, The Avenging Wolf

The night was already advanced, as was the number of beers on the table. Considerably, the two mammals were already in an altered state, but they kept their consciousness healthy. How? Years of alcohol, drugs and other substances, beers were not powerful to them.

 "When do I start my revenge?" said the green-eyed black wolf. The scars on his face could be counted through his fingers.

"If you've understood everything, you can start when you want," replied the yellow-eyed white Leopard.

"Great. The sooner I finish this pair, the better!" the wolf took the last beer in his mouth, drank the rest of the liquid and put it back on the table. Then, he got up and fixed the chair. But before he could leave, the leopard warned him.

"The rush leads nowhere. Do things in disguise. I don't want to see you behind bars, let alone problems on my side," the feline's gaze was penetrating, something the wolf considered very serious. He wasn't kidding.

 All he had to do was nod his head and head for the party to have some fun before he could put his plan into practice.

 The party was already long. Judy did not abuse alcohol, since she was not much to drink. But after giving her niece to her sister-in-law, she wanted to drink something other than juice. Two glasses of some kind of mixture were enough for her mood swings to change radically. Not drunk, but her vision is already difficult to focus on. Unlike her, Nick had drunk more alcohol, but his condition was, considerably, fine. Their dancing was sensual. The heat of the night made their bodies sweat a little to the rhythm of the various songs. Both scrambled and calmer. The clock was already ticking at two in the morning, and few mammals were already at the party. Bonnie and Stu like their younger children had long left. The elders too, with only a few still dancing and/or playing in the tents.

 "Nick, I don't want to spoil the party, but what do you say we call the night?" their breathing was faster. The music, that had been played, was rhythmic.

"Absolutely, princess. And where do you want to go now?" Nick, also fast breathing, spoke in his jerky tone.

"Home and bed?”

"Oh, Carrot, are you so eager?" he laughed.

"Argh... Home, undress and sleep!" she replied, punching him in the arm.

Nick took his paw to the hurt place. How he had forgotten how painful those little punches were.

“I was joking!" He bowed his eyebrows.

"We'll have plenty of time for that, love drips. Now, let's go." she said, deviating from him and starting to walk out of the Festival towards home.

 The bath would only be taken the next morning, as exhaustion took over, and as soon as they entered the house, only the shoes were taken off, and the clothes remained, and their bodies fell to bed, falling asleep right after that.

 At the motel, which was a little far from BunnyBurrow's main square, papers scattered around the table were stirred up over and over again. The cigarette on his lips was already in the middle and the glass with some kind of liquor had already been filled twice. In his face, the reading glasses hid an angry and tired expression at the same time. His two fingers moved his temples to relieve the slight headache that persisted at that moment. The plan was not complicated. The first thing he had to do, was to keep the fox away. Then his target would be free to be crushed. He would make her confess the crime, in a very slow torture until he killed her completely. Just imagining the scene, an evil smile appeared on his lips. The paper he had on his left paw, was placed on the pile on the table. He supported his back on the wood of the chair, removed his glasses and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. At the same moment, his mind went to the memory when he heard the news of the death of his long-time friend.

 On a day like any other, Mark rose from his bed. It was his day off and wanted to take advantage of the day to walk the streets of Zootopia and enjoy the beautiful spring breeze. As such, after his personal hygiene and dressing, he left his apartment and would have his breakfast in the usual pastry shop next to the river that flowed through the city. The sun was already high, and this made him appreciate the sun's rays in his fur. When he reached the pastry shop, he entered. The line was long, and it was to be expected. As such, his patience had been trained when he was a military and waited for his turn. Meanwhile, the TV was broadcasting the news. Mark was not a mammal to pay much attention to the news, so the first few minutes of the news didn't make him catch his attention on the small screen, and he kept waiting for his turn to be attended. When the balcony waitress finally greeted him and asked him what he wanted, his hearing was focus on the TV, as soon the journalist announced the incident of the bank robbery and who the bandits were. Even so, he did not look away from the female in front of him, starting to ask for what he wanted to eat. As soon as his request was registered, and the little female told him how much it would be his expense, it was in that moment, his attention tied on the screen when the journalist advertised the names. The shock was his first sensation. The anger came next and soon, without any explanation, Mark deviated from there in quick steps, leaving the poor waitress confused. Outside the bakery, Mark took the mobile phone out of his pocket and dialed the number he wanted. In his ear, the sound of the call only made his heart already accelerated to go in an alternated speed. No one answered. He tried again and again and again and nothing. Furious, he put his cell phone back in his pocket and ran out towards the bank that had been robbed a few blocks away. On reaching, the whole situation shocked him. The police, the ambulances, wounded mammals and... Holy God. What the hell were they thinking?

 Returning to the present, Mark took another deep breath and stood up from the chair towards his balcony. Once outside, another cigarette was lit. His elbows found support on the porch sill and his green eyes met the stars. The loss of his friend really affected him. He regarded that mammal as a brother. Although he understood that Arian could be arrested, he never calculated that the famous rabbit would kill him, and this, he would not forgive for anything.

Her death would have to be slow, very slow and make her partner watch everything. After all, part of him died when he heard the news. His knees gave way, falling into the damp ground from the rain. As soon as he realized that they were headed for RainForest, Mark wasted no time in going home and getting his car. Regardless of the traffic signs, he stepped on the accelerator and tried to get to the district as quickly as possible. When he did, the main bridge had been broken. Seeing himself with no chance of crossing with his car, he left it right there and went on foot, running to the other end of the bridge where the river was responsible. But by the time he found his friend, it was too late. His 'brother' was already lifeless on the ground. The anger spread at an unstoppable speed. His intention was to run in and literally beat the rabbit that had stolen the life of his beloved mammal. However, his legs refused to move. In addition, more policemen arrived at that moment.

 A breath in his cigarette and he put it out in the ashtray. He stuffed his head and took a deep breath. Remembering that, was painful for him. Now, he had to concentrate on maintaining his anonymity and continue with his plan. But first, he would leave a message for Judy. After all, a tormented rabbit will be easy to handle. If the informant would be correct, tomorrow he would leave her a message well...'nice'.

  **** _To be continued…_  
  
NA - Tomorrow I will post the chapter 17. I'm almost done ^-^  
This chapter was small, but I hope you guys enjoyed *Kissus, Sayra* ^-^


	17. Judy, The Target

His whole body was shaking. In his eyes, the tears formed. His breathing was very fast. It was not yet morning. Once again, another nightmare had taken over his rest. His emerald-green eyes met his bunny. Judy slept deeply beside him. Without knowing how, they had fallen asleep in the same bed. Seeing her serene face, he kissed her on her forehead. She stirred to the touch but continued to sleep. Then Nick turned his attention to the ceiling.  _Who he was?_  In his nightmare, an all-black wolf with several scars on his face looked at him with malice. Besides, on his lips the diabolical smile moved with the speed of his heart. Nick knew that that wolf would bring trouble and this time wouldn't ignore his nightmare like the other time. Taking a deep breath, he carefully diverted Judy's head from his arm and got up. His throat was dry and desperate for water. After going down the stairs and entering the kitchen, he searched for a glass where he filled it up and drank the water in one shot. He put the glass down again and looked through the small window of the kitchen. The moonlight somehow reassured him. Once again, he knew that Judy would be in danger.

 "Nick?" the sleepy voice from the rabbit that just woke up, startle him. Judy approached him and put a paw on his arm. "Is everything all right?”

"Sort of." He wouldn't beat around the bush. Not now that they were a couple.

"What's going on?”

"Another nightmare."

 Judy was silent. Her expression was one of sadness.

 "What happened?" she asked him.

"No big deal, but the mammal that showed up is the one I'm worried about."

"Do you know him?"

"No."

"Maybe it was just a nightmare and nothing much." Judy tried to reassure him.

"I won't ignore him this time, Carrots. Remember what happened the last time I did it?" Once again, Judy was silent, while Nick's paws closed tightly. "I don't want to feel the torment of losing you again. The sight of you in a hospital bed made me die inside." His eyes had attention trapped on the kitchen floor. Besides, the tears were beginning to form. Judy, in turn, took one of her paws to the face of her fox, caressing him to try to reassure him. Nick's eyes then settled on hers, while one of his paws ran into hers. "I love you, Judy. Without you I am nobody. You gave me a reason to live again."

"Don't say that, Nick. You have your value. You may not have started the best way, but it doesn't matter now."

"I know that, but..."

"But what? At first, I may have thought you were a treacherous, unprincipled fox, but you had a choice not to help me with the case. And you chose to help me."

"The truth is, I was between a sword and a wall, because of your cunning about my discount case..." in a way he laughed, and she accompanied him. "Anyway, things have changed a lot. You are my support and if I lose it..."

 Nick couldn’t finish the sentence as soon as he felt his bunny's lips on his own. A few seconds later, she separated from him and stared at him.

 "You have me here and now. Enjoy the moment. Forget the past a little and move away from the future. Enjoy every day. As for your nightmare, we will not ignore it. If the first one was like a vision, or whatever you want to call it, it will be the same with this one. We will be attentive to what surrounds us. But, please, don't take the Nick I love the most, do we agree?"

 Nick smiled at her and kissed her. The kiss, which was soft, became burning. It was obvious how much they loved each other and how much they wanted each other, but at that moment, in that kiss, there were no ulterior motives. When they separated, Judy grabbed one of his paws and the two of them climbed the stairs back into the room. Judy snuggled into Nick's bed and both fell back into a deep sleep.

 The next morning, the bath felt good. After returning from the kitchen and going to bed again, the nightmare didn't bother him anymore. Then, in his dreams, he didn’t dream with anything and managed to rest well. After cleaning himself, he put on some casual clothes again. Denim pants and a white T-shirt would be the ideal clothes to help Stu on the farm, since it was time to pick up the blueberries, a fruit he loved most in his whole life and smell them first thing in the morning, was a fantastic feeling. In the room, unaware of Nick's good humour, there was a perplexed and shocked Judy. While the fox took her bath peacefully, the rabbit's mobile phone vibrated when she received a message. Curious to know who had sent her something, she thought it was her sister-in-law asking how the night had gone with her partner, when her violet eyes read the message, she swallowed it dry.

  ** _"You will pay for what you did. Taking lives can be your calling, rabbit. But you hit the wrong target. I advise you not to go so far as you like, because you will never know when it will be the last time you would breathe."_**

Shock and fear were the sensations she was feeling in that moment.  _Who was the character?_   _And how did he get my mobile number_? Her paws were shaking. She knew that after she had killed one of the robbers, her life would not be the same and fear was always present. However, Judy had not thought that anyone wanted her dead. Or at least that idea had never crossed her mind. The noise of the door opened, made her block her mobile phone quickly and put it on the bedside table. The effort of the smile she put on her lips as soon as Nick entered, couldn't disguise the agitation of the poor rabbit, in which the fox noticed.

 "Is there something wrong, dear?"

"No, nothing. It's all, relatively, well!"

"Are you really sure?" Nick arched an eyebrow that was not very convinced.

"Yes, I do." Judy mentally tried to relieve her expression and stood up from her bed, taking the change of underwear and the clothes she was going to wear, passing by Nick and closing the door behind him.

"What's the matter with her?" He whispered, staring confusedly at the door.

 On the other side, with her back pressed against the wood of the door, the clothes she was wearing on her paws went towards her chest. Her breathing was very fast. There, in that moment, the fear of dying seized her. Such a feeling that was constant in her day-to-day work as a police officer had never tormented her like that. But now, where things were going well for her, being chased by a mammal she didn't know anywhere and that at any moment.... Tears flowed down her cheeks. The fear of not seeing the mammals she loved the most, tormented her.

  _'Pull yourself together, Judy Laverne Hopps. You cannot show weakness in this situation. You are a strong bunny that will come out of this as you have from other dangerous cases that have already passed through your paws. This kind of feeling and fear is common in your daily life. When you wake up in the morning, you don't know if the day will go well or not. Whether or not a dangerous case arises. Every day, your life is in danger and every day, death awaits in which you may never again see the important mammals you have in your life. So, Judy, you have to be strong and find the mammal responsible for the message.’_  She said to herself, trying to convince herself. One of her paws ran into her eyes, wiping her tears. Then she leaned her head against the door, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She really had to pull herself together. She could not show weakness and had to have her five senses on high alert. Without any warning, the door was opened, making Judy unbalance herself and almost falling to the ground, if not for the good reflexes of her partner, who grabbed her and helped her to straighten herself out.

 "What are you doing there?" Nick asked confusedly.

"Oh, one of my sisters came by and I was talking to her for a while." Judy tried her best smile and hoped he wouldn't look forced, and she lied brazenly.

"Yeah, but you'd better hurry. Breakfast will be served in a few minutes and I've noticed that Mrs. Hopps doesn't like delays when it comes to eating."

"I know," breathing with mental relief, Judy kissed Nick's cheek and went to the bathroom to try to enjoy her shower.

 She didn't want to hide from him what had happened, but he had already suffered a lot from previous events and didn't want to worry him anymore. So, for the moment, she would put up with things on her own and have more attention around her. Call it selfishness but seeing Nick in another 'dimension' was more painful for her than hiding things.

  
The sniper's aim was well repositioned. Mark would know that Nick would leave the rabbit alone. If the informant's information was correct, but the doubts were persistent since Mark still didn't have much confidence in the leopard's hired mammal; this mammal, who informed him of all the steps of the two and those around them; Nick would leave early to help Stu pick the blueberries, Bonnie would help a neighbor prepare sweets for another night at the festival and Judy would go shopping to prepare lunch for her younger brothers and sisters, thus leaving an opportunity to put his plan into practice. The first thing he had decided to do, was to torment the bunny for some time until he had the opportunity to catch her. First 'disarm' her, then torture her on his own before putting an end to her life. His green eyes met the aim. The clock pointers were beating at 8 o'clock. Judy was about to leave the house. Erasing the cigarette on the stone, Mark threw his manly body on the floor with his belly on. His right eye was trendy, and his left paw focused on the sight. His right paw's finger was already close to the trigger, ready to fire. He didn't mean to kill her right away, but to hurt her? Oh yes, and it had to be in the limbs that she used the most.

 Despite her fear, her right paw, who had gone against the doorknob, was tremble, denouncing her nervousness and fear of having to go out alone on the street.

  _‘Come on, Judy, you can do it.’_ At all costs, the positive messages she sent to her brain to make him react, sometimes the opposite was done. Taking a deep breath, she turned the knob. She went ahead and closed the door behind her. Her violet eyes searched every corner of the hills shrouded for suspects but saw nothing. Her paws still trembled, and she took one of them to her chest, in a desperate attempt to calm an accelerated heart. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing her journey to the market.

 "Hello, cute bunny!” Mark murmured to himself between his teeth, after the image of the aim had been focused on the figure of Judy. "It's time to start the suffering." An evil smile outlined itself on his face, where his tongue licked his lower lip of how excited he was to put into practice the plan he had in mind.

 And he pulled the trigger.

  ** _To be continued…_**


	18. Judy and Mark

The basket she was carrying on her paws, fell to the ground. Her knees were also pressed into the sand of the road, while her two paws went against her right cheek. The pain was slight, but she felt something viscous starting to flow. She knew she was bleeding.

 "This is just the beginning." Again, Mark pulled the trigger and another shot was fired, this time scraping the poor rabbit's shoulder.

 Judy squealed in pain. She knew that, whoever fired, did it on purpose to fail. Furious, her fear disappeared and caught her attention in the direction from which the shots were fired. Then, due to the sunlight, she glimpsed where the sniper was.

 "Show yourself!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

 A triumphant laughter was her answer.

 "Poor rabbit."

"I told you to show yourself."

"No way. At least you won't know who I am yet."

"What do you want from me?"

"An intelligent question." Mark stayed behind the hill, but now his back was against the rocks. From his trouser pocket, he removed the packet of tobacco and lit a cigarette, then, with a small mirror, he raised the small object above the stones, so he could continue to watch the rabbit. "The heroine of Zootopia now finds herself in a difficult situation. What's it like to be afraid of being killed at any moment?"

"What harm have I done to you?"

"Oh, another good question. But now answer me, how does it feel to take another mammal's life?"

 Then Judy realized what he was talking about. Fear took hold of her again. It had been in self-defense. She had taken the life of another mammal to save herself and her partner. Every day, the dead mammal was still very recent in her memory. She tried to forget that image every time she could, but she came back to torment her. She took both paws to her ears, now low, and closed her eyes to, in a desperate attempt, make the memory of the dead mammal disappear.

 "I... No..." her voice was trembling.

"He was a very important mammal to me. A brother to be more specific. Arian could have chosen the life of the robbery and I knew he would sooner or later go behind bars. But..." now the roar in his voice was perspective "I never thought that the heroine of the whole Zootopia, the rabbit who watches over a better place and who, I knew deep down that you weren't capable of taking any life, killed my brother. Shock, yes that's the right word to describe what I felt the moment I knew. The moment my eyes saw an inert body on the ground soaked in a pool of blood. So young, with a long life ahead of him..." one of his paws was fist closed to the ground, furiously.

"Please, stop…” with eyes wide open stuck on the ground, the tears were already forming.  “It was... In..."

"Self-defense?" he repeated the words. "Spare me, your useless rabbit. There are countless ways to defend yourself. And you, you should know that very well." Mark took a deep breath and settled back down on the ground and aimed for the rabbit again. This time he would hurt her more severely. "You will know the taste of revenge when you kill someone who also has a family" and pulled the trigger.

 At that very moment, the shot missed the target.

 "What the hell?"

 Judy, still in shock, didn't realize she had been protected by Jack. Her brother had arrived with her sister-in-law and daughter and heard voices. Asking the wife to stay away, he came up to see what was going on and saw his sister on her knees on the floor bleeding like crying. Perplexed, he ran toward her when he realized that someone had shot her. Instinctively, he jumped on his sister trying to protect her and the shot missed the target.

 "Jack, watch out!" shouted Judy as she realized that another shot had been fired.

  ** _(Note - Although the sniper was silent, Judy's and his brother's intuition as well as the good hearing made them realize when the mammal pulls the trigger and, since they were very close to Mark, that hearing was better. Just to clarify XD)_**

 The shot grazed Jack's arm. In front of the whole scene, Daisy had taken her daughter to the car and taken her cell phone out of her pocket. Her paws were shaking. She didn't consider calling the local police because she didn't want the neighbors to make a fussing about the situation and that became more of a situation for her sister-in-law to deal with. Therefore, the mammal that came to her head, was Nick and as she had asked him for the number because she could contact him because of her daughter, she called.

 Away from the whole situation, there was a happy Nick. The basket beside him, was already well filled with blueberries. Also, being his favorite fruit, Bonnie had promised to make him a pie with them. When, his mobile phone started to vibrate in the pocket of his pants. Dropping the blueberries from his paws in the basket, he went within reach of the little device. He was amazed when he saw it was Daisy.

 "Good morning, Daisy."

"Nick, please, I need your help." On the other side, her breathing was accelerated. In his mind, he immediately thought of Julia. Had something happened to the little one?

"What's going on?”

"Judy is hurt and so is Jack. Someone is shooting at them."

"Say that again?" suddenly, he got up. His eyebrows came together.

"We came here and saw Judy bleeding. Jack ran towards her and was shot. Please, Nick, help them."

 Nick's blood was boiling. Who was the monstrosity that had hurt his Judy?

 Without delay, he ran towards Stu's little van, started the engine and at full speed, went towards Bonnie's house. Leaving a Stu perplexed to look at the scene.

 "What the hell is going on here?" Jack asked as he focused his hearing to see if no more shots would be fired by surprise.

"Someone wants revenge on me for killing the other mammal. JACK!" again, Judy screamed and tried to keep her brother out of the shooting zone.

 When, suddenly, her father's van placed in front of them, making the shot to be accurate at the door. Nick leaned over to open the other door.

 "Come on in," he said, stretching his paw to Jack.

 He grabbed the paw and pulled his sister with him. Once inside the van, Nick turned around and walked out of there to the parking lot where Daisy would be.

 "Damn!" Mark grumbled between his teeth.

 The plan would have to be postponed. But at least he had already managed to hurt the rabbit.

 In the parking lot, after Nick turned off the engine, Daisy ran towards them. She opened the door.

 "Are you okay?" might have been a useless question at that moment, but because of the shock, that's what came to her mind.

 Jack got out of the van and hugged the wife. Then, he watched his arm. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he had only a little scratch on his arm. However, inside the van, Nick leaned over Judy, judging her condition. Wounded again. Once again, his inability to save her made him angry. Without saying anything, he hugged her tightly. In his eyes, the tears began to form.

 "Let's leave them for a moment. We have to take care of your wound." said Daisy, carrying a paw on her husband's shoulder, who nodded positively before going to the car.

 "Who did this to you?" Nick asked without breaking the hug.

"The brother of the mammal I killed. He wants revenge."

"Did you see who he was?"

She answered, negatively, with her head.

"I received a message on my cell phone this morning. Possibly from the same mammal that shot me."

"And why didn't you tell me?" Then Nick broke the hug and, keeping both paws on Judy's shoulders, he stared at her.

"I didn't want to worry you. Not after your reaction to seeing me in the hospital. I don't want to lose the smiling, loving Nick to a Nick without any emotion."

"Judy, please, you won't lose those emotions of mine."

"I lost them when you had that nightmare of yours before. For three days I didn't recognize my partner. The Fox I fell in love with. The jokes that made me happy every morning. I don't want the last thing I remember before I die to be that emotionless Nick."

"Dying?" the shock to his voice was immense. "There's no way I'm going to let that happen. Not for now."

"That's a probability right now. That mammal wants me dead just like his brother." the tears flowed down her cheeks even if she tried to be strong.

"Not while I'm by your side."

 Judy felt pressure on her shoulders. Nick's paws denounced his frustrations. Furious, fear, sadness and anger were also visible in his gaze.

 "Nick, but..."

"No, no and no. I will contact the department and let them know about the whole situation. We will take action and you will be inside the house for now."

"But I..."

"There's no buts. Let's heal those wounds of yours and you'll rest for now."

 Judy took a deep breath but didn't contradict him. Nick took her silence as approval, kissed the forehead of his bunny and started the engine again, driving home.

 Once home, Nick took her to the bathroom. Inside, he asked where the first aid kit was, in which, Judy indicated that it would be in the closet in the second drawer. With the first aid kit open, Nick began to treat his rabbit's injuries. Sometimes, Judy had bitten her lower lip due to the application of disinfectant. At that time, both said nothing, and Nick had in his thoughts several solutions on how to treat the mammal that wanted to steal what was valuable to him. After finishing the curatives, Nick asked Judy to stay in her room and rest and not leave the room. Without discussion, she obeyed and took off her clothes and in only on her underwear, she go to bed.

 Once in the living room, Nick approached Jack and Daisy. Little Julia had gone to play with her cousins.

 "How is she?" The concern in Daisy's voice was real.

"In the room resting and I hope she'll be quiet for the rest of the day." the fox sat on the couch in front of them.

"Would you be so kind as to explain to me what's going on?"

"I don't even know, exactly."

"My sister could be killed at any moment and you have no idea what's going on?" the decibels of Jack's voice increased, just like a paw furiously hit the little wooden table in front of them.

"I don't know who the mammal after Judy is, but I do know that it has to do with the death of the robber who tried to kill us.”

"You should be more attentive to what surrounds you! It is not only you who will lose an important mammal."

"I'm sorry I wasn't responsible in that field, but I never thought we'd be followed to BunnyBurrow." Just as Jack's voice will increase, Nick's too was loud.

"The discussion will be of no benefit to Judy, boys." Daisy interfered. "The most important thing is to keep Judy safe until we find out who this mammal is!"

 The two pouting, they took a deep breath.

 "I'll tell the department about today's events. They will be able to give more concrete information about who is behind this."

"As soon as you have details, I also want to see who he is. And don't you dare hide him from me, you hear me?"

 Nick arched an angry eyebrow, but he knew that Jack had every right to know who was behind it.

 "That's a deal!”

"Great!" said Jack, and stood up, "I don't want our parents to know. They've suffered enough when they saw their daughter in a hospital bed. So be discreet about this."

 Nick nodded positively. He didn't want to involve them in this either. It was enough that Judy's life was in danger.

  ** _To be continued…_**


	19. One Step Forward

**_Note_ ** _\- Hello readers. I hope you're enjoying the story so far._

_It's time for our new couple to step forward. In this chapter, the story will not be very revealing, and in the next chapter the scene of sex between them will be written. BUT, and beware, my smut in the next chapter will be light, very light and very romantic._

_In the past, I have written very revealing sex scenes. However, at this point, I want something more romantic and sensual. So, you can rest assured that the love scene between the two will be beautiful and smooth._

_Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter ^-^_

*******

During the rest of the day, Nick had to make up an excuse for stealing his father-in-law's truck out of nowhere, and Stu took every word seriously and the case was closed there. With Bonnie, who tried to answer the questions where her daughter was, was her daughter-in-law, indicating that Judy was not very well because she was a little feverish and that this day she would be resting. Of course, when Bonnie climbed the stairs to her daughter's room, Nick had already warned Judy of everything.

Later in the day, Daisy had to convince her daughter not to upset her uncle today as he was taking care of her aunt. The little girl understood the situation, even though she had a rather sad expression. When night came, everyone went out for the festival, leaving Judy and Nick alone. The water in the shower was already running for some time. Although the hot water over his fur helped him when his emotions were not well, at that time it was not even possible. His anger hadn't completely dissipated yet. A closed fist ran into the rough wall, making blood. The pain he felt was nothing compared to what his heart felt. Losing Judy was too painful, and he had to find a way to put his paws on that mammal and end this situation once and for all. Lost in his torment, the knock at the door startled him. Closing the water, he opened the sliding doors and took the towel hanging beside him. He wrapped it around his waist and passed a paw over his head, removing the excess water and pulling his fur back.

"Yes?" he finally answered.

"May I come in?" the question caught him by surprise. It was rare for her to bother him when he was in the bathroom.

"Everything is...okay?” the silence remained a little until she answered.

"No.”

Confused, he decided to open the door. On the other side, a rabbit with her eyes on the ground and a sad expression, that is what he received. Crouching down, he took one of his paws to her chin, making her face him.

"What's the matter, love?" with the other free paw, he stroked her cheek.

"I..." Then she stared at him.

It was then, through those violet eyes, that Nick realized what she wanted. Without saying anything else, he straightened up again and grabbed a paw of hers, pulling her towards him and closing the door, locking it. Once inside, the light was turned off, letting the natural moonlight illuminate the path. Then, Nick approached the bathtub and turned the water back on.

Meanwhile, Judy bit her lower lip. One of her paws grabbed her forearm tightly. She was nervous, it was reality.

"You're really sure..." Nick started talking with his back to his partner.

"Um..." the surprise slipped through her lips, while her violet eyes reflected the figure of her fox's back.

"...this is what you wanted?"

At that moment, Nick turned and looked at her again. His sad gaze broke her heart. Yet, she was not willing to give up. Judy wanted to feel her fox in her and might not have another chance. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again...

"Yeah."

"So..." Nick approached her and stretched a paw where she accepted it. "I'll be happy to do it." A soft, passionate smile appeared on the fox's lips as he led her into the bathtub, closing the sliding door beside him.

Although he did not like to hear such words, he breathed a sigh of relief. Well, it wouldn't be bad at all if his partner was a virgin, but with so much that she suffered, and although this pain was a little different, he didn't want to hurt her anymore.

"So, explain to me what your insecurities are?"

 "If my body is enough." She looked away.

"What do you mean enough?" Now it was Nick who wasn't getting it.

Judy took a deep breath and said just once, diverting her attention back to the side, trying to disguise the shame she felt.

"If what your eyes see, makes you horny."

Faced with such words, Nick tried, but couldn't contain himself, and burst out laughing like a madman. Judy worried if her body didn't excite him?! That was too much.

"You don’t have to laugh that much." She folded her arms and turned her face up with her face raised.

"I'm sorry, but..." he tried to control himself and wiped a tear with his finger that insisted on falling. "Judy, darling..." Nick, once again, pulled her chin to face him. "You don't have to have a great body, I'll still get excited. I love you, so I love your whole being." He smiled at her and she reciprocated.

Without further, the two of them kissed each other. Judy's insecurities disappeared when she felt her partner's lips in hers. The kiss became intense, warm and... exciting. Nick, in turn and gently, slid his paws through Judy's curves, looking for the end of the shirt to be removed. Judy helped him by lifting his arms and, only then, was the kiss broken, being replaced again after the shirt was completely out of her body. Soon after, and once again, Nick went against her bra, loosening it. The kiss broke at that moment, so that Judy could deviate a little and Nick could remove that piece of fabric, placing it beside him. Instinctively, shame was still present, in which Judy, with her arms, covered her breasts. Nick was a little sad about her attitude but understood her part. They were a new couple and the shame was still very present in the matter of more intimacy between them. He, himself, was also nervous. After all, it was the first time he really felt pleasure and taste in making love, since the female in front of him was not just anyone, but the most important female in his life. Nick stood up and closed the water. Then, he opened the sliding door and removed a towel, placing it over his partner's shoulders. Confused by the reaction, he reassured her that the place to continue would be in the room and not there. Judy nodded and was the first to leave the bathtub.

 "Although it's exciting to have our moment in the shower, I think it's best if our first time is in a more comfortable place.”

He spoke, taking her paw and directing her to her room.

**_To be continued…_ **


	20. Un Unforgettable Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I had said in the previous chapter, finally, Nick and Judy had their moment. However, I warn that what I wrote is not graphic. It remains simple, 'explanatory' in its way and romantic.
> 
> It can be read to those who like "Smut" and those who do not. Yeah, the 'Smut' I put on is very, very Ligth and there's nothing wrong with it.
> 
> After that, I hope you like it ^-^
> 
> I accept criticism.

 

  ** _Judy..._ **

**_Nick..._ **

  _The heat was bearable. Their bodies moved slowly, enjoying the moment. There was no hurry. There was no urgency in what they were doing. Their feelings were at their peak and their love was very present. Judy's sensuality fulfilled all Nick's desires. His kisses were deposited lightly, making the little bunny vibrate with every touch she felt._

_"Judy..." he murmured among breathless sighs._

_The arms of the little bunny wrapped around her fox's neck, supported the gentle movements in order not to lose balance. One of her paws grabbed the fur behind Nick's head with force, with each sudden movement he made. The pleasure of the sensation was enormous and, among audible but controllable sighs, with her eyes closed, she moaned when she felt Nick among herself._

_"Nick... I..."_

_He knew. He felt it too. They were almost there. But the pleasure, the love, all the sensations that were felt at that moment, he still wanted to enjoy them a little more._

  *******

As soon as they entered the room, the towel that Judy was wearing around her body fell to the ground. The light to illuminate the room, was the moon. Without any haste, Judy lay down on the bed. Then, she lifted her arms high, asking her fox to come near her. Without delay, Nick put his knees on the mattress. His paws found support on both sides of Judy's head, supporting his body. Their lips touched each other lightly, and Nick deflected them to her neck. At the soft touch, Judy's body tremble. She had never felt like this before. Although she felt comfortable when she did it with her old boyfriend, with Nick it looked...so different. Comfortable, good and.... a pleasant feeling. In addition to the kisses that fill every corner of her little body, his paws on her fur, in a way, made her melt completely. But was he also feeling comfortable? Her anatomy was totally different from of a Vixen. From what she had already discovered in previous conversations when the subject was being touched on, Nick didn't have as much interaction with Vixens, one of them have marked him in a certain way. That instant, Nick realized his girlfriend's body contracted. Thinking that she was rejecting him and/or repenting of what they were going to do, he stopped. To the subject of the event, she opened her eyes and faced him confused.

 "Nick?”

"I think we'd better stop here."

 He straightened up and sat down by the side of the bed. Judy also sat down and put a paw on his shoulder, worried.

 "No, Nick, it's not...."

 "I don't want to force you into anything, Carrots. Otherwise if it’s not the right time, I have no problem waiting."

 Judy took her paw off his shoulder, leaving it suspended, while biting her lower lip. The, she took a deep breath and stood up from her bed, standing in front of him. Without saying anything, she approached him. Putting her paws on her partner's shoulders, she sat on his hips. Then their insecurities disappeared when she felt he wanted her too. The kiss she then gave him, was ardent and passionate. Nick did not resist, realizing that she had finally surrendered to passion and desire. Her bra was removed. The towel Nick was wearing, came off. Smooth and sensual movements with her paws accompanied the gasping rhythm of her breathing. The last part of Judy's clothes was removed by herself. She wanted to feel it and now the rush to have him inside her was urgent. Without further delay, Judy settled down on his hips, giving permission for Nick to finally possess her. Feeling him inside her, she let out a muffled groan. It was different. It was totally...magnificent. The feeling he had for her, although it was very visible, seemed that in that intimacy, it was more noticeable.

 They wasted their time, letting all the emotions flow that words simply did not do. When the pleasure of both reached its peak, they began to try to control their breathing. Panting as they were, Nick laid his back on the bed and took an arm to his eyes, trying to control his breathing. Judy, on the other hand, remained seated on his side.

 "I love you, Nicholas." and leaning over, she kissed his forehead before she lay down, too, and sleep took over.

                The next morning, Judy was the first to wake up. Nick still slept deeply. She got up without bothering him and wore a t-shirt and her underwear. She would take a quick shower before helping her mother in the kitchen. Lost in his dream, Nick woke up to the sound of his mobile phone. Still sleepy, he took a paw, looking for his mobile phone. He found it on the bed. As he had ended up there, he still had to investigate the case.

 "Good morning," he greeted whoever it was, since he didn't bother to check who was calling him.

"Good morning, Officer Wilde. I see the holidays are being good" on the other side, Bogo made fun of him because of the sleepy voice that answered him on the other side.

"They couldn't be better!" he replied in the same derisive tone. "Anything new, Chief?"

"Some, but not as relevant as we'd like."

"Anything is welcome."

"The connection between the two, was that of simple comrades. They both grew up together in Sahara Square, moving to Zootopia when they were both still young. One of them followed the path not so good and the other was military by the armed forces."

  _This justifies the use of the snipper._  Nick thought, looking back on how accurate he was.

 "Going on..." On the other side of the phone, the stir in the papers was audible. "…we got an photo of him. I'll email you as soon as possible."

"Great." Nick babbled. It would be easier to locate him.

"However, I warn you to be careful. An ex-military is no joke."

"I know!"

"In the email, in addition to the photo, you will have access to some personal information. It will be a great help. I will send two officers there. They will keep watch and try to find the location of the suspect, while watching you from afar." A pause and a sigh. "Wilde, once again, please be reasonable. Bring him alive to Zootopia. Try as hard as you can to be cautious in your capture and keep Officer Hopps out of danger, please." Nick rolled his eyes. Bogo didn't have to tell him what to do. More than any other mammal, he knew he'd have to protect her even if he gave his life for.

"Absolutely."

"Great. Good rest of vacation for you and Hopps" and he hung up.

 In a sigh, he put his cell phone back on he was minutes early and went back to the bed, staying awake. As soon as he knew who that mammal was, he would do everything he could to arrest him. No one would touch his Judy. Not while he was still breathing.

**_To be Continued…_ **


	21. A Happy Conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the Delay =(
> 
> I have this chapter for almost two weeks, but I forget to translated it ^^''
> 
> I'm having some problems with the ideas for this story, so I'm writing others that aren't based on WildeHopps, in order to relax my mind a little and come back in force with the continuation. I already have chapter 22 done, but I want to post with 23 =D
> 
> This chapter is a bit lame and may seem unconscious, but I wanted it to be a bit relaxing =)
> 
> I hope you like it ^^

His anger has risen in strength. His blood returned to the boil. He would have to be quick in capturing that mammal, before Judy's life escaped him by the paws.

"Nick?” The sudden call of his name made him frightened. "What's the matter?" she asked curiously as she approached him.

"Bogo called.”

"And..."

Without delay, he turned the screen of his laptop, which he had on his legs, towards her. Studying the photo well, she became confused. The question she was going to ask, Nick shut her up when he answered right away.

"This is the mammal that attacked you. The mammal who wants revenge for his friend's death. THE SAME MAMMAL..." He frizzed the words "...that appeared in my nightmare."

 _OK, that was already being too strange._ Judy thought to herself, as she walked away and sat on the edge of the bed.

"What do you intend to do?”

"Making him pay for the same coin as what he's doing to you, was a good plan. However, Bogo warned me to be consistent and take him alive to Zootopia."

"We don't have any leads to start with."

"Photography is enough for me." Nick closed his laptop and put it on his desk after getting up. "Does the festival end today correctly?"

"Yes, and?"

"From what you told me, the best part is the fireworks, right?" Judy faced him super confused.

"Nick, will you please explain yourself better?"

"Fireworks attract many mammals, whoever they are."

"What do you intend to do?"

"Look for him and have a conversation with him."

"What?" Judy's eyes opened in shock.

"Despite being an ex-military, I will be able to arrest him.”

"Wait! What did you say?"

"That I'm going to arrest him?" Nick bowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"No. Before?"

"Um... An ex-military?" a finger of his paw went towards his jaw in thoughtful form.

"Don't even think you're going to stand up to him alone." Judy put her eyebrows together in an angry expression.

"What's the matter?"

"Ex-military, Nick. Trained with all kinds of weapons. Cunning to exhaustion. Formidable in the execution of their plans. No, not even over my corpse will you have your 'conversation' with him."

"What part of 'your life is in danger' you didn't understand?" it was remarkable the change in his voice.

He did not understand. Her life was at stake and her only concern was the 'conversation' he was going to have with the mammal?

"Still!" Judy sighed. For her, Nick's life was more important than yours. "At least let me participate in this capture.”

"No." Nick got up from his bed and grabbed a t-shirt and his pants, starting to head towards the door where he opened it. But before he left, he made it very clear. "You'll be quiet here until I catch him. I don't want to lose the only female I still have that’s is important to me." and the door was closed tightly.

Judy took a deep breath. Nick could be stubborn when he wanted to. However, she wouldn't let him participate in capturing this mammal alone. Whether he liked it or not, she would do it her way. After all, it was her life that was at stake.

               The festival was coming to an end. During the rest of the day, Nick didn't say a word to his bunny. After breakfast, he went out with Stu for one more blueberry catch. Given the situation, this did not go unnoticed by his mother. Astute as she is, she made a point of asking her daughter what was going on when the two of them were alone in the room to have a coffee. Judy did not go into detail, explaining only that it had been a small disagreement of interests and that the situation would be resolved quickly, stating that once Nick calmed down, the two would speak calmly.

In the afternoon, Daisy and Julia came for the end of the festival. After the compliments, Jack stayed with his daughter at Daisy's request.

"Take her to Nick. You can talk to him there, while the little one was distracted by her grandfather." she said without leaving a margin for her husband to respond, as she soon turned her back and climbed the stairs towards her sister-in-law's room.

Two gentle touches to the door asked permission to enter. On the other side, Judy answered, and Daisy opened and closed the door behind her.

"Good afternoon.”

"Hello, Daisy."

Judy was focused on her computer. Daisy approached behind her and diverted her head to see what her sister-in-law was researching.

"Who is he?"

The picture on the screen, showed a wolf all black, full of scars and green eyes.

"The mammal that wants to kill me," replied Judy, dryly.

"Too beautiful to be a murderer."

"And ex-military," added the little bunny, now staring at her sister-in-law.

"Ex-military?” Daisy repeated the same words with a worrying expression.

"Nick wants to take care of him alone." The words were said low and completed, in the end, with a long and desperate sigh.

"But he can't do it alone."

"You tell him that. I've already tried, and he gotten mad at me." Judy closed the laptop cover. "We have some caliber, but in front of a military mammal, it's not enough. There are things they learn that we don't know.”

"Wait till dinner. Maybe he's calmer and you both managed to talk about how to capture the mammal."

Judy hoped Daisy was right. That the catch of the Blueberry would, somehow, help him relax and that when he came back, they could talk calmly.

"It would be reasonable to try to talk to him. I understand Nick's point of view about not wanting to involve you anymore, but restless as you are, you'll do yours tricks. Besides, I fully believe he's already noticed."

"I'm starting to get jealous."

Daisy laughed, and Judy accompanied her.

"I can't deny that your fox is sexy. But my eyes are only turned towards a mammal. Second, you already know how much I love your relationship, so..." she shrugged her shoulders. "But there's something else I missed.”

"What?"

"You have a very intense smell of Nick. More than before." A dumb smile reappeared on her lips. "Finally, he's already marked you." It didn't take words to answer Daisy's question. Her ears denounced her so well, they were so red that they stayed. "I don't want the details, but... Was it good?"

Daisy provoked her. In a way she wanted to be more intrusive and to know everything that had happened, but a simple 'yes' to her question was enough to feed her fantasies. Judy's head shook in confirmation and her paws went towards her face, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Hmm... This gave a story. I have to plan well what I will begin to write."

"Please, Daisy" asked the poor bunny. If there was a hole to hide in, she would gladly do so.

"Nick and Judy: Their feelings.' sounds like a good title to me."

"Daisy, I beg you..."

"You're not much of a reader, but believe me, you're even more famous in Fanfiction than on TV. If you knew what they wrote about you and Nick you'd be amazed. Especially when there are 'smut' stories, which are the ones I love most about reading."

"Smut?" Judy faced her confused sister-in-law again.

"Oh, yes. How you and Nick have 'sex'. You should read. There are mammals with a very fertile imagination."

Besides the ears, it was now Judy's face that was red as a tomato. She knew what fanfiction was. Several times she had read fiction about some of the series she had seen and enjoyed. She loved the imagination they put in with the characters when the end wasn't what the fans expected. However, she herself never remembered to search for related stories about herself and/or her partner. Yeah, she never thought that the fame for having now solved two cases would lead to mammals writing about her and Nick.

"Are you sure you haven't been reading other things?" Judy tried to deny that there was such a thing, but the denial with the head she received made her lose hope.

"If you want, you can login with my account. In my favorites, you have some about you and Nick. Some more fluff and some more adult. Just choose."

"By gods!" she babbled, tapping her paw lightly on her forehead. "We are in a complicated situation and you talking about stories of mine with Nick doing..." couldn't complete. The shame was immense.

"At least you relaxed a bit. When this is all over, and I know that you will be able to catch him and put him behind bars, take a look at the stories. I'll be happy." Daisy smiled. "I will help prepare dinner. Rest and think how to talk to Nick" she stood up "Take it easy" and left the room.

Judy took a deep breath. What plan would she schedule to pick him up? They would have to be discreet. In other cases where she was assigned, she would soon have a plan in her mind to catch whoever the criminal was. But in this one, things were more difficult than expected.

**_To be continued…_ **


	22. Judy's Capture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me. I have no intention of killing Judy, so rest assured. 
> 
> Nick is not an idiot. It may sound a bit like the context I put in, but in the next chapter you'll see that he saw it long before the whole thing happened.
> 
> Well, I hope you like it ^-^

The glass was halfway through. Alcohol was his favorite company since he lost his faithful friend. The cigarette was almost finished and a 'tsk' had come out of his lips. He just wanted to scare the bunny and possibly hurt her when the opportunity arose. However, his plans were spoiled by the arrival of the other mammals. By her expression, the other rabbit would also be important in her life. Maybe adding it to the plan, wouldn't be a bad idea. Today was the last day of the festival. The noise of the fireworks and the distraction of the mammals from the beauty in the sky, would be a perfect opportunity to kidnap Judy and torture her. But first, he would have to remove her partner away from her. He would have to catch her alone. And, to do so, a threatened needed to be sent.

               Sitting in front of her computer, Judy's curiosity got the better of her. With her login details and password, she entered them into the site and opened the content. In the favorites, it was impressive how many stories her sister-in-law had. To the gutter, she clicked on one without even before checking what it was about. Without patience to read the story from the beginning, since this one had more than 32 chapters, she searched the index for something that caught her attention. In addition, her curiosity insisted on verifying the stories with a little more 'burning' content. One chapter drew her attention. Without delay, she clicked on it and began to read it. At the same moment, her mobile phone beeped, causing her to startle. Twisting her nose at this interruption, Judy grabbed the mobile phone and unlocked it. She didn't know the number on the screen, but her instinct told her it must have been the mammal that was after her. Without delay, she pressed on top of the message, and read it to herself.

_"In a world where death lurks, our safety always comes first. However, if you don't want your partner to suffer the consequences of your actions, you'll have to come alone to the festival's west hill when the fireworks start. If you don't show up, believe that my aim will not fail this time."_

Judy's paws began to tremble. She understood what he meant by that. Furious, but at the same time frightened, she answered the message confirming her departure. Putting her cell phone back on the table, she supported her forehead on both paws. Tears marked the wood on the table. She knew she would die and that it would be the last time she would see the mammals she loved most. And this time she wouldn't say anything to Nick. If the mammal found out, it wouldn't be her dying, it would be Nick.

"Done! Let's see what you do now, rabbit. You can't stand to see your partner suffer. You can't imagine how much you'll suffer before I have the pleasure of taking your life," and laughed like a madman, he drinks the rest of the orange liquid from his glass and getting up. It was time for his well-deserved revenge.

               As such, Nick did not address Judy. Although the two of them sat next to each other at the table for dinner, the fox's stubbornness had not yet passed, and Judy only sighed for such a reaction. After dinner, everyone was getting ready to go to the festival. Thinking that Judy would be safer at home, the only words he uttered to her, were that she wouldn't go anywhere for anything, and that he would then make up for her having to lose the fireworks she liked so much. Judy, on the other hand, didn't mind. All her life she had witnessed the closing of the festival and would keep that moment. But the hardest thing for her, was not being able to see the mammal she loved anymore. Her tears were about to flow down her cheeks, but she made an effort and just smiled. Though still upset, Nick approached his bunny and kissed her lightly on her cheek.

"We'll talk better when I get back. I won't be long, rest assured."

"Have fun, Slick and..."

"Yes, Carrots?"

"Enjoy. Because the end of the festival is very beautiful."

"Of course, I will."

Turning his back, he smiled softly at her and closed the door behind him. It was at that moment that her legs gave way and she fell to the ground crying. She cried everything her heart asked of her. She was not going to give up her life, of course not. She would go with caution, prepared for what the mammal could do to her. However, an ex-military was no joke. She was being unfair to Nick. If he saw her hurt, he would suffer. If the mammal took his life, he would suffer. But if the killer knew that his partner would be present, he would kill him.

"Gods!" a closed fist went down hard. It was a dilemma. A dilemma in which their lives were at stake.

**_***_ **

               Leaning against the tree, the cigarette was lit. His eyes met the clock. Almost midnight. Soon, the fireworks would begin, and the rabbit would appear. Giving a breath in the cigarette, he smiled. It was time, time to see that creature suffer before taking her life. How he wanted to put that revenge into practice.

"Here I am!”

The trembling voice made the wolf look to his left. Judy was breathless. Climbing the hill, was not easy.

"It was about time.”

Sending the cigarette to the ground, he put it out with the tip of his shoe. Then he uncooked himself from the tree and put his paws in his pockets, standing face to face with the rabbit.

"Alone, as you asked.”

He smiled and then began to move forward, shortening the distance between them. "Paws, please!”

Judy didn't hesitate and stretched her arms. A rope was put around her wrists, the knot being tightened tightly.

"I'm sorry you don't have the best treatment, but I don't have time for courtesy."

His gaze imitated fury, but above all he wanted to kill. Judy recognized that. Her heart began to beat at a fast pace. She wasn't going to lie, she was afraid.

"You're very quiet. I thought you'd be more resistant." Mark stood behind her. In a push, he made her walk. Judy arched her eyebrows in anger but showed no resistance. "I hope you did what I asked. If I know that that fox and or another relative of yours are following you in the shadows, you already know what awaits them."

"I'm alone, just as you asked." The words came out without patience between teeth.

Mark laughed. Getting a little closer, his snout went towards her ear, where he whispered to her.

"Say goodbye to the world you know. But first, you will suffer the consequences of your actions."

Judy swallowed it dry. The tears, once again, visited her eyes. In her mind, the image of Nick and her family made her close her eyes and breathe the clear, mild air of the night one last time. In the distance, the noise of the music of the festival with the fireworks over the starry sky, was the last melody that she would witness.

**_To be Continued…_ **


	23. Following Judy's footsteps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note - Sorry for one word that I put wrong in this chapter Truck. Although in my country the two are almost equal, in english they too but truck means more other thing. So, Truck = Van. In the next chapter, the word is correctly. Sry.

His instinct said something wasn't right. Usually, his partner's calmness was not a very common thing. The normal thing would be for her to insist on talking to him after disagreeing with something and/or arguing. But at dinner, the silence was what Nick received. The fox knew he couldn't cross Judy's line, but the argument they had, and although he was still upset with her, was not something to keep them both quiet, or so he thought. Instead, he actually received her silence. After dinner, once again, the strangeness hit him like an arrow. Thinking that Judy would contradict the fact that she had to stay indoors on the last night of the festival, the only thing he received in return, was a confirmation. Following her 'staging', he went alone to the festival. Or so she thought. After the door closed behind him, Nick put a paw on his brother-in-law's shoulder. To the touch, Jack stared at him confused.

"Something's wrong," he said in a serious tone. "I need you to come with me."

Without questioning him, he nodded positively. Then, he asked for a moment to talk to Daisy. After a few seconds, he returned to the fox.

"What's going on?" he then questioned him.

"My instinct tells me something is going on."

"Something about my sister?" Nick nodded positively.

"I need you to pick up your father's truck. Let's wait inside. I have a feeling your sister will be coming out of that door before the fireworks start.”

"Are you sure?" an arched eyebrow, denounced the confusion in the rabbit's expression.

"I do."

Jack shrugged his shoulders and didn't discuss it anymore. If Nick said so, it was because it was true. Although he sometimes had doubts about what his brother-in-law said.

After an hour and half, Jack's patience was piquing. After picking up his father's truck, he had parked a little far from home. With lights off, the darkness hid that 'monstrosity'. As his instinct predicted, the door to the Hopps' house opened. From there, Judy left.

"Judy?" before the image reflected in Jack's blue eyes, he said in a surprise voice. "Where is she going?”

"To the murderer" the growling in the words was visible.

"She is crazy? He's going to kill her." Jack furiously removed the seat belt he'd worn moments earlier and his paw went toward the door latch with the intention of opening it but was stopped by Nick.

"Hold still. I'm pretty sure he asked Judy to go alone."

"There is no way I will be quiet when my sister is on her way to her own death."

"If you interfere now, we will all die."

Swallowing dry, a closed fist went up against the dashboard of the car, with force.

"DAMN!” Jack yell between his teeth.

"Let's follow her."

Starting the engine, and setting the light on minimum, Nick reversed and went with the truck to the road. Since Jack could see all the way from the road, he could follow his sister with his eyes, indicating that they would possibly go to the west hill of the festival. When, suddenly, they stopped seeing her.

"Damn it," Jack yelled, "We'll have to follow on foot."

Nick turned off the engine and they both got out of the truck. Jack turned the truck around and opened the back wooden door to remove an iron. At that moment, Nick was preparing his pistol.

"We'll have to be careful. If he hears us, it all be over." said the fox. Jack just nodded his head and the two of them started their walk through the darkness, with Nick leading as he could see in the dark.

               The silence ran through the prey and the predator as they descended the hill. On the way, Mark's pistol was pointed at the back of the rabbit's head. If she made any sudden movements, that was it. The road seemed long until, when they finished going down the hill, Judy saw a car in the darkness. Without questioning him, she continued to walk until she stood in front of the vehicle. Mark, without even removing the pistol from the rabbit's head, just changing direction, advanced in front of her, opening the door.

"Get in!”

Pushing her, Judy sat on the bench. In the middle of it, her shoulder hit the plaque of the car, wounding her in the same place that hadn't yet fully healed, causing a groan of pain to come out of her lips. Without delay, the door was slammed hard and Mark skirted around the car and got in.

Moments before, the caution was great. Very vague steps were taken. Any noise was the end of them. Although the fireworks stifled certain sounds, astute and trained as Mark was by being an ex-military, a detour and they would be noticed. They climbed the hill and still could not see the figure of either Judy or Mark. Frustrated, Nick started sniffing the air. No doubt Judy's scent was present. The hill wasn't that big. Why the hell couldn't they see them?

"Nick!" shouted Jack when he reached the top of the hill.

In a twirl of furious eyes, the fox wanted to hit the rabbit for calling his name loud and clear, where at that moment they had to be careful. However, reality hit him hard. For him to be screaming is because....

"They're not here!" Jack's disappointed voice, made Nick's fury, already piquing, explode.

When, a familiar sound alerted them. Lights through the trees, denunciated a car.

"Oh, no...”

Jack's words were interrupted as soon as Nick began to walk down the hill at full speed, trying, in a desperate attempt, to reach them. However, his hope faded when the car had already reached the road and followed the path. Behind him, a panting rabbit leaned over his knees trying to control his breathing.

"And... now..."

"Let's follow them."

Without further ado, the two of them headed towards the truck. The seat belts were forgotten, and as soon as they got in, Nick started the engine and put his foot down that all speed. He wouldn't let that mammal touch his Judy.

**_To be continued…_ **


	24. An Uncontrolled Chase

The speed wasn't going more than 100 miles an hour (90km/h). Mark was in no hurry. With no one to interfere with his plans, the silence in the car made the killer's mind be present in what he would do with the rabbit. The ideas were many and he wanted to apply them all, calmly. However, his reasoning was interrupted when, in the distance, he glimpsed lights. Confused, because all the mammals were supposed to be at the festival, he slowed down a bit to be able to see through the rear-view mirror who they were. That's when, a shot in the back glass of the car, caused Mark and Judy to instinctively deviate. The bunny bent over, and Mark tried to control the car.

"What the hell!" he grumbled between his teeth.

Meanwhile, Judy straightened up again and looked back. She recognized the vehicle that was following them.

"I told you to come alone.” Mark growled between his teeth, furious.

"But I..."

Judy's words were interrupted when the wolf, without any resentment, hit her with the fist of the gun he had taken from his jacket. In the violent crash, Judy took her paws to her snout. Then she looked at her paws and saw blood. He had torn her lower lip.

In Stu's van, Jack had been begging for his life. He had never been in a chase, let alone with a crazy fox who didn't know what it was like to slow down. So, when they got almost close to the fugitive's car, Jack prayed. Furious, Nick didn't let go of the wheel, keeping a paw on him. But with the other paw free, he put the gun out of the window and fired.

"Are you crazy?" Jack fought back, shocked. "You'll end up in an accident."

"I won't do any harm to them. I just want him to slow down."

"Slow down?!" Jack repeated the same words and turned his attention to the car. "You just made him accelerate more." he said, noting that the speed from the car, had increased.

"Not for so long."

"What?”

At that moment, Nick put his foot down. Within seconds, they reached the back of the car. Forcing him to stop, the van touched the bumper several times.

"Shit!”

Mark split the word. He was really furious that he was interrupted and that the rabbit didn't keep her word.

"Say goodbye to your boyfriend."

Before the statement, Judy faced him. At that moment, she saw Mark pass the gun to the other paw, keeping the other one at the wheel. He leaned over the window, so he could look at the van. And, without delay, he positioned himself to shoot.

"NO!”

Without thinking about the consequences that followed, her reaction was to take her paws behind the wheel and pull the steering wheel towards herself. This gesture caused Mark to hit his head on the roof and the car to get out of control. However, the ex-military's rapid reaction made the car straighten out.

"YOU ARE CRAZY!"

Once again, and this time harder, he punched her, with his fist closed, over her belly. At such a violent shock, Judy spat blood. Her senses were almost lost. However, the survival instinct spoke louder. Mark was preparing to shoot again, and this time Judy didn't turn the wheel, but took her paws to the mammal's arm, trying, in a desperate attempt, to remove the gun from his paws. Exaggeratedly, he pushed her to leave him alone, but that only made the situation worse. Judy had no intention of keeping quiet. As a result, it was an ungoverned car. Taking advantage of the situation, Nick managed to stay side-by-side with the car. Several times, the two vehicles were going off the road.

"Stay STILL your crazy rabbit."

Mark shouted and wriggled, until Nick accidentally managed to get Mark in control of the car again but, when he hit his side for him to pull over, Judy gave in and she ended up, unbalanced, slamming her back on the door, violently.

"You idiot! You're just making it worse."

Jack warned him, screaming in frustration. He knew Nick's anger had taken control of his sanity. At that moment of distraction, Mark took advantage of his cue and put his foot deeper into the accelerator, giving him the advantage to get away from the van.

"I was only planning to kill you, but it looks like you'll have company for the other world."

Mark's anger was very visible in his expression. His plan had been changed, so it was costing him his job. He preferred to die because he had to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Meanwhile, Judy tried to gain strength. Her wrists began to bleed because of the tight ropes. Her energy was exhausted. Her vision was beginning to blur. However, she could not lose her strength now. She had to fight before Mark hurt her even more.

Nick was desperate. It was the second time he had seen his rabbit's life pass before his eyes. Such a thing was consuming him inside, so useless that he felt. The various attempts he made, thinking that he could provide a greater advantage, only made things worse.

"You need to be calmer. Don't let anger consume you." Jack knew it was hard to stay calm in such a situation. But if Nick doesn't stay focused, his sister's death was precise.

Calmer and, knowing that her body had regained some strength, Judy attacked Mark again. Her paws went against the wolf's arm. She wanted to remove the gun from his paw as soon as possible. With this onslaught, again, the car lost its stability. Mark tried two impossible things. To break away from it and maintain control. The rabbit's insistence was killing his nerves.

"Be quiet at once, shit!" the screams of despair, were accompanied with the flush out.

Twice, Mark succeeded. In the third, he screamed in pain when Judy bit him. Before the act, the wolf's elbow went to meet her snout. In the onslaught, he made Judy knocked on the door with her back. The blood on her nose as well as on her mouth, did not make her give up. The adrenaline rush helped her pull herself together and invest again, but this time luck didn't smile on her.

Nick had gained ground again in front of the car. This time, he didn't crash, but swerved to go side-by-side. Jack was preparing so that as soon as he reached the driver's window, the iron on his paws would go towards the mammal and then ask his sister to stop the car. If it was a good plan, of course not. But during despair, it would be the solution. However, when Nick gained ground and the cars went side-by-side. Shock, fear, sadness and anger consumed the two poor mammals. The useless feeling that they couldn't avoid it, was like a bucket of cold water. For when Judy tried the fourth time the onslaught, luck really didn't smile on her this time. Mark managed to avoid it in a quick onslaught. He pushed her away, making Judy fall on her knees. Then the gun was placed in front of her. 

"Say goodbye to the world you know! 

And he shot...

__**To be continued…**  
  


_**_0000_ ** _

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** _**__**Pls, stay assure...I'm not going to kill her  
Enjoy ^-^** ** _


	25. Calm after the Storm

**_Shock._ **

**_Fear._ **

**_Anger._ **

Three sensations. Sensations, those, that led to save a life almost undone. The reaction was fast. Very fast for the effect, but it was enough to stop the brutality of the events. The consequences were immense.

The weapon had been pointed, very firmly, within reach of the rabbit's forehead. With her eyes wide open to the situation in which Judy was exposed, the shock prevented her from moving.

"Say goodbye to the world you know!”

Those were the words. The last words before the world turned black and her senses were lost.

**_Judy... Judy..._ **

Her name was called in a tone of despair. The agony and sadness in his voice was noticeable. The persistent dark disappeared as she opened her eyes. In the blurred image in front of her, tears were perceptible.

"Judy, can you hear me?"

She recognized the voice and only sketched a soft smile, shaking her head in confirmation. The sigh and a head down were the meaning of a great relief from his shoulders. She was alive. Wounded, yes, but alive.

"When I get out of prison, I will kill this impertinent rabbit once and for all just like the two of you."

Mark spat out the words. With paws behind his back, two ZPD officers, the ones Bogo had indicated would be watching them, would arrest the wolf, forcing him to walk to the car and lower his head to get in. When the door was closed, Jack, furious, hit the glass lightly to be opened. One of the officers did so.

"When you get out of prison, you will find darkness. If you do anything more to my sister, as long as I live, you will die" and he turned away. From his lips, a whistle was heard.

    The insistence to go to the hospital was enormous, where Judy said she was well and that her injuries could be treated at home. Furious, but with no intention of continuing the discussion with a stubborn rabbit, Nick was the one who was helping her with the bandages. After finishing, the first aid box was returned to the closet.

"I'm sorry." Judy spoke. Her right paw grabbed her arm tightly.

"I always told you that you should have warned me. Why did you go out alone?"

"He'd kill you if he knew you were going."

"Now, you know better than anyone that that was a bluff."

"I didn't think so."

Nick sighed and sat on the edge of the bed in front of his bunny. With one of his paws, he stroked her face. Judy took one of her paws to his paw.

"I was afraid. I was afraid I couldn't see or touch you anymore. Fear that saved me for a moment, but that it got in my way at the end." Her eyes were meeting with the bed sheets. Tears were formed in them.

Nick didn't say a word, he just took his paw to her chin and raised it. A soft, warm, passionate and long-lasting kiss was placed on her lips. At that moment, the relief of having her with him was immense. To have the female alive beside him and that wolf behind bars, was a weight taken from his shoulders. Now he could sleep soundly, knowing that the threat was stuck and well stuck.

**oooOOOOooo**

               The next few days, Nick and Judy took the time to rest. The two weeks of vacation were coming to an end and they wanted to take advantage of the remaining days to enjoy more of Bunny Burrow and the family. Julia was always able to stay with her uncle. She almost never let go of him and this led to small arguments between the little girl and her mother. Judy had secretly read some fanficitions that her sister-in-law had recommended to her. Shame was the biggest thing she had her expression. Many times, her paws would meet her face to hide the red of her cheeks and many of the stories were not really finished.

When the week was over, the farewell was painful. Little Julia cried a lot and snot when she couldn't see her uncle so quickly. Nick comforted the little girl as much as he could, promising her that when she visited him and her aunt in Zootopia, he would show her the best parks in town so she could play and walk. Daisy wished Judy good luck and kept in touch with her more often. Bonnie and Stu cried when they hugged their daughter and son-in-law, which was normal. Jack apologized to Nick for his attitude and Nick had said he had no problem. Past was past. A few more minutes of goodbyes and the two of them had to get on the train.

"This is always the worst part.” Judy said, putting her bag on the top shelf and sitting down. Her eyes were still red with tears.

"Yeah!" the fox stammered, smiling at his bunny.

               Judy would still stay at Nick's house until the two of them found a house. Both had argued that they wanted to be together and Nick wanted to get his girlfriend out of that terrible apartment. He could suggest to her to stay in his house as it was big enough for the two of them, but he thought it would be a good idea to look for another one together, even though Judy liked the decorating of her boyfriend's house. After being introduced to the service the next day, Bogo talked to them about Mark, indicating that he would stay in jail for twenty years for assault, gun pose and kidnapping. He also asked Judy to take a few more days of rest due to her wounds, but she insisted that she would not and that she would be fine. Without any power to contradict her, he gave them the simple cases until they were well prepared for more complicated cases.

               Two months passed and Judy and Nick were happier than ever. The wounds had long been healed, the past stayed behind and the house they had bought together and decorated, was more than a home. It was something done with a lot of love and affection.

In those two months, Nick was planning something. Without Judy noticing it, the help of Daisy and Jack as well as Benjamin, was fundamental to the situation he was preparing. He had long known that he wanted Judy by his side at that moment and forever. And he knew that that female would be the mother of his children. For a month he planned how he would propose to her. Daisy was a precious help in choosing the ring. Without her feminine wisdom, Nick might as well choose something not to please his bunny, despite everything he gave her, she wouldn't twist her nose. Jack and Benjamin were to indicate places for the request to happen. But there was one place where Nick knew Judy would be amazed. One night, but not just any night, Nick was already ready. His look had been taken care of. The black suit matched well with the white blouse. His fur had been well prepared. And the nervousness increased every second. They were still going to dinner and the propose would be after that, but even so, his nervous system decided to anticipate it. Judy came down the stairs from her house. The shiny black dress slips down to her feet, leaving a small opening from her knee to her thigh. The only thing Nick did was simply to swallow dry and fighting with his mouth to keep herself closed. The restaurant would be in Sahara Square. Magnificent for its ancient construction, the food left water in the mouth just to look at. The prices were not very affordable, but tonight was an important occasion.

               Sitting at a table for two, near a stream that flowed on their right side, the landscape was breathtaking. The high moon in the dark, starry sky reflected its lights in the river beneath them. The summer breeze was pleasant. Everything was perfect, just as Nick had imagined.

"I know it's our anniversary, but you didn't have to do all this." Judy's words contradicted her amazed expression.

"After all we've been through, this is nothing."

"Truth." She shrugged her shoulders and smiled at him.

The dinner was delicious. Nothing had been left on the plate. The dessert will complete the satisfaction of their stomachs. Coffee was the toast. After the bill, Nick took Judy to the garden the restaurant had. Of high vegetation, the roses of various shades filled a path of careful earth. The black marble whites matched the fountain in the middle of the garden. Detailed in a mermaid of a different kind of mammal than usual, the fountain falls into an overwhelming elegance. Without delay, Judy sat on the edge of the fountain. Her violet eyes admired everything around her.

"You did a good choice, Slick!”

Nick didn't sit down, he just smiled at her and stood in front of her. Nervousness had already shot out from all sides and his heart wanted to come out of his chest. It was now. It was at that moment that he could stay with the female he wanted the most. The female who would bring him happiness now and in the future. Catching her distracted for a moment, he took advantage and knelt. From his pocket, he took out the small box containing the ring.

"Nick...ah..." When she turned her attention back to her fox in order to tell him that the moon was magnificent at that moment, the words died in her mouth when she found herself in this situation.

She knew what it meant, so her immediate reaction was to bring her paws to her snout and her eyes were filled with tears.

"I could say all that is in my heart, but you already know how much you mean to me in every way. So, Judith Laverne Hopps, do you accept this humble fox as your husband?"

The shaking of the head silenced the 'yes' of the words. Without delay, Judy leans forward and hugs him tightly, letting her tears of happiness descend down her cheeks. A sigh of relief came out of Nick's snout, who smiled and with one paw caressed his fiancée's ears. Judy left him and Nick did the honors of putting the ring on her finger.

"Thank you."

Nick thanked her and, without delay, kissed her deeply. After everything that had happened to them, all the anguish and suffering, finally happiness was reigning. It was long or maybe too fast, but Nick knew he would never regret spending the rest of his life with that bunny that dragged him into situations that any mammal would already have left running. It was in her, that the present and future happiness would remain until the day of his death.

**_The end._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all those who comments, left 'likes' and followed this story. At first, I wanted to make five chapters, but it turned out to be more than expected and... good for me eheheh!
> 
> I want to let you know that I will do the Epilogue.
> 
> All that remains Is, to tell you, to follow my other stories and possible new ones from our DUO.
> 
> Arigato! Thank You! Gracias! Obrigada! ^-^


	26. Epilogue

"Nick, would you mind pass me the backpack, please?"

Busy, Judy kept the cookies in the basket. That's all it took for the basket to be complete.

"Here you have!”

Nick put the backpack on the kitchen table next to her and kissed his wife's head before returning to the couch, continuing to take care of what he was doing initially.

"Daddy, where are we going today?" the soft, thin voice was very exciting.

"To the new amusement park. But first, you have to help me."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

With a low head expression, the little green-eyed rabbit with the gray hair in black tones stretched out her little arms so that Nick could finish wearing her sweater. Next to them, a small fox of his eight years old, was fixing his little backpack.

"What do you need all this for, Thomas?” Judy wondered as soon as she approached her son to put the cap on his head.

"We're going on an adventure. I can't forget anything", the excitement of the little fox, made the violet eyes shine, making Judy have no arguments to scold him face of such situation.

"You and your stupid adventures!" Catherine twisted her nose and turned her face, without first throwing her tongue out at her brother.

"Come on, kids, this is no time to argue." Nick finished putting the hat on his daughter's little head. "Is everything ready?" he asked, looking at Judy.

"Yes.” She confirmed, taking the backpack and the basket, passing the backpack to Nick.

 

               The towel was stretched on the grass. The basket was opened, and things removed. Judy prepared the meal with the help of her husband and children. The children, after eating, decided it was time to play, and Judy asked Thomas to keep an eye on her sister, even though the park where they were going to play, was not many meters away.

"They are energetic today!” Nick laughed.

"They're like this every day." Judy answered, putting some things in the basket. "But once they go to the amusement park, that energy triples.

"It's true."

"Coffee?”

"Yes."

Judy withdrew the term she had prepared with the coffee. She also took out two cups and poured the liquid into them. She closed the cup again and sat down next to her husband, delivering the coffee to him.

"Who knew we'd come like this!” Judy smiled at her own words.

Nick nodded affirmatively and drank some of the coffee.

"I always dreamed of having a family and you gave it to me. Thank you, Judy."

Smiling at his wife, he put a gentle kiss on her lips.

"You're welcome, Slick."

Judy smiled and stood up. Finishing drinking her coffee and picking up her husband's cup, she put it back in the basket and called Thomas and Catherine to come to them. After all was done, the four of them headed for the amusement park.

 

_**See you next time in another Story ^-^** _


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